No letting go
by Blaquediamond Princess
Summary: This is a collection of NaLu and other pairings oneshots - Twenty-second chapter summary: There are just things that you never... ever say to a woman, unless you're an idiot in love.
1. No letting go

_My first FT-fic y'all! Please enjoy! This will probably become a collection of one-shots around this OTP, so look forward to it!_

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* * *

No letting go**_

* * *

"Is this okay?"

Actually, it made it worse.

"Natsu!" she gasped, squeezing her eyes shut, "It's not—"

His hand resting on her ankle then warmed up slightly and he gently began to massage the painful bundles of muscles there, looking up at her face with a worried expression the whole time. "And now?"

Lucy slowly lay back against the cushions of her couch and let her head fall back, still wincing. "I feel so stupid about you carrying me here. You can go back to the festival if you want, I don't mind staying here."

"It's fine," he whispered, enclosing the palms of his hands around her ankle. "It wouldn't be much fun without you there anyways," he stated, grinning up at her.

She stilled and looked away from him.

Sometimes she wondered if he knew.

"Natsu—"

"How does it feel now?" he asked, voice soft, lips smiling.

She blinked, having forgotten about the pain only to realize that it had actually gone completely. "It's— fine," she whispered in awe, watching him remove his hands from her leg as he stood up and instantly wishing he hadn't; the spot where his hands had been was now rapidly growing colder.

"Try standing up now?" he reached out a hand to her.

She looked at his outstretched hand and sighed. She knew she shouldn't have let him take her home. She could see the hope blooming on his face and she couldn't do this to him again. This is how it went last time and both of them got hurt. "Natsu, just go, I'll be fine."

He watched her untie the straps of the sandal she still wore on her left foot for a moment and then closed his outstretched hand, hating the distance that had grown between them since…

"Lucy, don't do this."

Lucy dropped the pair of sandals on the floor next to the couch and looked up at him questioningly. "Do what? You told me you looked forward to this festival for weeks?"

"I did," he whispered, sighing and hanging his head. "Fuck..."

She knew what it was that he was struggling to express, but she didn't want to hear it. "Alright then, help me up," she said instead, grabbing onto his arm and tentatively putting some of her weight on her foot. He took her hand and pulled her up effortlessly, making her lose her balance and falling against him.

"Nats—"

"I'm not letting go."

She blushed, trembling in his hold. "My…My ankle feels fine now, Natsu."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Lucy fought against the grip he had on her but he only tightened his embrace.

"I'm just trying to understand, Luce," he whispered against her hair. "It was one night. Just one. I doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to, but please stop ignoring me. I can't stand it."

She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, remembering that one night.

_She'd been balancing on the verge of sleep when she'd felt his warm hands brush back a few of her blonde strands and his lips pressing a soft kiss against her shoulder. His firm, naked body had been pressing against her back underneath the covers._

"_That jerk doesn't know what he's missing, Luce… I only wish you knew that you have me… in more ways than one."_

_She'd blinked her eyes open after hearing that, her heart filling up with guilt._

"Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" she whispered, pressing her hands against his chest and forcefully breaking the embrace. "To me?"

"Luce…?"

"I heard you," she said, looking down. "That night when Darren and I broke up, when you thought I was asleep. I heard what you said. What were you thinking, Natsu?"

There was a silence in which she waited for a reaction from his part, but it never came and when she finally looked up, his eyes went hidden behind his bangs and his entire posture was tense.

"I guess it doesn't matter anyways, right?" he said, his voice dull. "Sorry for bothering you. Talk to ya later, Luce."

She let him go, wrapping her arms around herself after the door of her apartment slammed shut.

Lucy took a shaky breath and opened her eyes again, refusing to let the upcoming feelings of sadness take her over. All she wanted was to sleep for the rest of the evening and just forget this day altogether.

They never should've slept together in the first place.

* * *

"Go talk to her."

"No."

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

"No."

"Natsu."

He looked up at the white haired girl cleaning a drinking glass behind the bar and groaned, burying his face in his folded arms on the polished surface of the counter. "I don't know. She knows, Mira. It wouldn't matter anyway; maybe things are better this way."

Mirajane looked at him a few moments more, wishing she could say something that could comfort the young dragon slayer, but she knew that even if she gave him advice now, it wouldn't really be helpful until Natsu decided for himself that the situation wasn't as hopeless as it seemed. Before she could tell him, though, her attention was called by her brother and Macao who requested some more drinks at the other end of the bar.

"Thanks, Mira," she heard him whisper before she walked off. The tone of his voice was nothing like she'd ever heard from him before.

He really must've fallen hard this time.

* * *

"One orange-pomegranate juice, Mira."

Lifting his head from where he'd been resting it for the past hour, Natsu first recognized her soft perfume before hearing her voice. He took his liquid fire drink off the counter and was preparing the give her some space, when he felt her hand land on his wrist; holding it in a tight grip, preventing him from going anywhere. Well, it didn't really hold him back, but it was either forcefully pulling away and risking burning her arm or sitting still at this point and he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. Not anymore than he already did.

"Hey, Luce. I see your ankle feels better?" Mirajane said with a gentle smile, placing her ordered drink in front of her, pointedly ignoring the scene between them.

"Yeah," Lucy replied, letting go of Natsu's wrist once she'd assured herself that he wasn't going to move. She took her drink and smiled at her friend, who nodded and winked before busying herself with the rest of her orders.

"Do you want to do this here, or do you want to go somewhere private?" she said, cradling her drink in her palms, not looking at him.

He knew they needed to talk this out, but at this point he really couldn't care where they had this conversation; it wasn't going to get any better afterwards anyway. How could it? She'd made her point clear, all that was left was for him to tell her clearly where he stood and accept whatever conclusion came from that. Not that it was a big mystery at this point.

"Let's go up stairs then," she offered, not receiving an answer from his part.

He followed her docilely, noticing that she was wearing that black asymmetric top he told her he liked once. He chuckled melancholically to himself; he could hear how the conversation was going to go in his head already. It wasn't going to sound any better in the open, he was sure.

They sat down in a corner of the nearly deserted floor. She was staring at the cubes of ice that floated on the surface of her drink with a serene smile and he was staring at her with a neutral expression on his face, body slouched onto the chair.

"I never apologized," she started and he blinked in surprise.

"What?"

Lucy tucked a strand of hair behind an ear and looked up at him, her eyes sad but sincere. "I'm sorry, Natsu."

"For what?"

"That night, I wasn't thinking straight… I was an emotional wreck, Natsu…"

He sat up, frowning. This wasn't what he'd been expecting, but as he watched her talking, he suddenly saw it.

"_What were you thinking, Natsu?"_

It wasn't anger he'd heard in her voice last night.

And it clicked. It made sense.

It was fear.

"I never wanted to put this on you, Natsu, I should've—"

"You asked me yesterday why I kept torturing myself with _this_, right?" he interrupted her, voice hard. He felt angry and betrayed and right now he couldn't give a flying fuck about the consequences of his words; things were fucked up already anyway.

She blinked in turn, taken aback.

"I want to ask you; why do you keep doing it?" he asked, staring her unwaveringly in the eyes. He scoffed when her gaze strayed from his and he sat back, shaking his head in disbelief now that he finally understood it all.

"Natsu—"

"Can it," he said in a low voice. "I could've left it all alone if you'd been a better actress, Luce. But you're not." He grabbed his drink again and prepared to stand. "I actually wish you were now."

She gritted her teeth as hot tears began to roll down her cheeks and her fists trembled by her side. "Natsu, please!" she whimpered, effectively halting him in his steps.

"Why, Luce?" he whispered, feeling his anger and dissapointment drain away only to be replaced by a smothering ache in his chest. "Am I not good enough, or something?"

"No," she whispered, standing in turn and grabbing his right wrist to turn him around. She looked up to his pained eyes and bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, but couldn't stop the thick teardrops that kept falling down her face. She sighed in frustration and bent her head, not finding the courage to say what it was she wanted to really say to him. Her hand on his wrist was trembling as she sobbed on without saying anything.

He took a step closer and placed his free arm around her, sighing in relief when she wrapped both her arms around him and held on tight, giving him the confidence he needed to do the same. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Take that risk with me, Luce."

She looked up at him and found him smiling his goofy smile down at her. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we can't say we didn't try," he replied, brushing a lingering teardrop away from her right eye with his thumb. "What do you say?"

She started to smile and then began to giggle when he wiggled his eyebrows and spread his arms, took a few steps back and strut the wares she'd be getting if she accepted the offer.

"Well, I guess it's a steal," she said, laughing at his confused expression.

"Huh?"

Lucy grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist again, snuggling up against his chest.

"Don't let go, Natsu."

His face softened and he wrapped his arms around her again, pressing a kiss on the top of her head.

"I wouldn't know how, Luce."


	2. Ardor

**_Thank you to all of you who reviewed and favorited this so far! Now, this one is smut. There's no other way for me to describe this. Oh, and there's bad language, so you've been warned._**

* * *

**_Ardor_**

* * *

Her legs were trembling, but the water was almost unbearably hot.

The palms of her hands were pressing against the wet tiles, fingers moving fruitlessly against their surface as she gasped for air whenever the jet of water didn't spray directly on her face.

She couldn't see him; the vapor surrounding them and her aroused state trapped her in the tactile reactions her body made to his being so close.

One of his feet pushed hers apart and she shivered, the big hand on her left breast playing with the nipple while the one on her lower belly slid lower without warning and settled between her parted legs.

His name fell off her lips in a broken moan and her head fell back when his tongue played against her earlobe, making her eyes roll into the back of her head.

"—tsu…"

She could feel it against her, heavy and needy and throbbing; wanting access and she craved for it too, _right-the-fuck-now_, but she was trapped between his body and his arms. She could tell by the way he was breathing and growling against her skin, she would need to save up on her stamina tonight.

"The window was open again, Luce…" he murmured, fingers playing against her moist bud, inching closer and closer to her intimate folds. "You've asked me time and time again to give you some privacy and come through the door knocking, so it makes me wonder if you left your window open on purpose while you stepped into the shower…?"

Hell yeah; she'd been waiting for him, for the past two weeks. After the things she surprised him with last time, she was hoping for him to find her like this. She'd been wanting for him to do her until she couldn't see straight. Just like that last time.

His index finger slid inside her and she inhaled sharply, arching her back and pushing up harder against his raging erection, whimpering when she felt him throb some more and squeeze the breast he still held in his other hand.

"F-fuck…!"

He chuckled lowly in his throat and rubbed his hard on between the globes of her ass in time with the thrusts of his finger –he now added another one- inside of her.

"Natsu!"

"Beg for it," he whispered, licking her shoulder, their slickened bodies gliding against each other in a maddening slow dance. "I want to hear you beg for it, Luce."

She opened her eyes at the request, preparing to flat out refuse it, but once she felt his confident smirk against her shoulder, she knew she wouldn't fool him because she never did fool him with this set up in the first place.

Salamander was the best fuck in Magnolia.

And the bastard knew it.

She cried his name when he alternately began to slip the tip of his erection inside her and then his fingers, driving her dangerously close to release before they'd even done anything serious yet.

The water that'd been pelting down on them was slowly becoming cold, which meant that they'd have to move this to somewhere warmer, and soon.

"Natsu, just do it, the water—"

"I have no problem with the cold, remember?"

She shrieked when the water turned freezing cold in an instant, struggling to step away from the spray or to at least turn it off, but his broad arms kept her from even moving. "You want me to get sick, is that it?" she gasped, body trembling for a whole different reason now.

"Of course not," he said, nuzzling the nape of her neck. "I'll keep you warm, I'll do anything if I see that you want it bad enough."

That's when she felt the fingers about to enter her again grow so warm before sliding inside and the hand on her breast emitting heat that spread over the entire upper half of her body. "Holy crap…!" she screamed, arching again. "N-Natsu!"

"Yes?" he purred, licking her jaw. "Is there something you needed? Do you still feel cold?"

Being cold was no longer an issue, it was the heat that was driving her crazy now, if he didn't do it soon, she would—

"Fuck me," she whispered between gasps, eyes shut tightly as she gave into her most basic of needs. "Please… Natsu."

He chuckled and she felt him remove his fingers and push his hips against her ass, prompting her closer against the wall, both hands now cupping each a breast.

"Stick it out, Luce."

Her body moved before she even fully registered the request/command and he pushed inside of her without further ado, snatching a scream from her before her head fell back against his shoulder.

"Feeling warmer?"

At first she wanted to pinch his arm for the stupid joke, but then she realized that it wasn't only the fact that he was inside that made her warmer, but that the small space around them felt significantly warmer as well, though the cold water was still falling down on them.

"H-How?" she whimpered, gasping when he slid out slowly only to slide just as slowly back inside. "_Oh fuck please yessss…"_

Natsu didn't answer, instead latched his lips onto the side of her throat and sucked hard, growling in time with her moans as they grew in intensity with each one of his thrusts.

The sound of wet flesh against wet flesh echoed all around them by the time Lucy came for the second time, head resting against her folded lower arms pressed against the wall while Natsu drove into her unrelentingly with both hands on her hips. She was losing her grip against the tiles as she felt her internal muscles spasm around him, making her knees weak, but he didn't stop and she watched her arms slide down helplessly, completely taken over by the mindblowing pleasure he was procuring her.

Her back hit that same wall just a moment after he'd spun her around, her arms wrapping around his neck and his huge hands urging her legs around his hips mere seconds before he entered her again and just continued where he left off; with sharp, hard and precise thrusts over and over and over again – _OhGoddon'tstopplease!_

His body was clearly warmer now and it was like she was being crushed against a pillar of heat; there was nothing she could do to even try and escape him: his hands, lips, teeth and tongue were all devouring her alive and there was nothing she could do but cry out again and again, body threatening to break with the intensity of it all as she watched him suck eagerly on one of her nipples, but still wanting more.

He came with a rush of nearly scalding warmth and her name on his lips, whispering it between her breasts fondly, nuzzling the soft skin there.

One of her still trembling hands landed on his unruly mass of hair and he looked up, catching her gaze with his. She lowered her head a bit and their lips connected for the first time that night.

He sighed contently when they lay in bed afterwards, his head resting against her chest while his eyes looked up at her adoringly, lips smiling.

"I missed you, Luce."

She smirked in return, eyes falling on the new scar just above his left shoulder, hand tracing it with its fingers. She would ask him about the mission later.

"I missed you too. Welcome back."

* * *

**_Catch ya'll on the next one!_**

**_-BDP-_**


	3. Until there's nothing left

His skin is warm, it's always warm, it's always _been_ warm.

On some places it's uneven; the places where hostile magic left traces, the scars that branded him the warrior he is known as today.

It's soft and responsive to your caress on the most sensitive places, the places you know no one else would claim dominion over, ever again.

The sight of him is misleading, treacherous even. You've seen him looking worse than this.

That bastard.

You're the first one to arrive; the first to confirm what you'd all been fearing –not believing it- wishing for it to not be true.

He doesn't respond when you call his name, but you can swear you see one corner of his lips quirk into one of his signature grins. You try not to look at his body, the wounds, the grit and the—

Grey falls on his knees next to you and you almost want to scream at him to leave, to leave the both of you alone, but you can't, your throat is dry and somewhere in the back of your head you realize that you're in shock.

In shock of what?

You push the little voice in your head away and smile down at him, cradling his head in your arms, holding him close, calling his name.

It's going to be alright.

His skin is still warm.

You notice the many pairs of feet gathering around you, but you try your best to block out Mirajane's grief-stricken wail.

"Lucy…"

You put your hand up in the space between you and Grey, silencing him immediately. There's nothing wrong here; he'll wake any minute now. He just needs his rest. It's fine, but everyone needs to be quiet so he can sleep now.

You pull him closer and only then notice the blood in the palm of your hand where his head had been and you freeze.

No.

"_Luce, there's no one else. If we don't stop him now, it'll reduce my chances of finding Igneel. I have to do this, Luce, you get that don't you?"_

Erza kneels on your other side and tries to pull you away from him, holding you close to her chest, hand cradling your head.

No. _No._

"_Of course you're important, Luce! But this is Igneel, the one being who's taught me everything I know, if he's in trouble, I have to help him!"_

_No!_

"It's best if we get you away from here, Lucy," Erza whispers and you feel like punching her.

You can't leave him.

He promised.

He promised.

"_I promise. Always, Luce."_

Your body is trembling so hard now you don't realize your eyes are overflowing with tears.

But it's okay.

Everything is—

He is—

It doesn't matter.

Your scream of agony echoes over the crater and it's all you hear, all you feel as you break.

Again.

And again.

Until there's nothing left.


	4. Lucy's first time

_**Lucy's first time (unbeta-ed)

* * *

**_

Her face had been resting against her pulled up knees for the past five minutes now.

Natsu sighed comfortingly and reached out a hand to her, running his right hand fingers through her pale blond hair. "Don't fuss about it so much, let's just go to sleep."

She responded with a small sniffle and a small hurt gasp that told him he'd messed up. "Oh great! Thanks, Natsu! So it was that bad, huh?"

He winced and quickly pulled back his hand, his instincts telling him to if he wanted to keep it, and scratched the back of his head with it instead. "Luce, that's not—"

Lucy threw the covers off of her and walked naked towards the end of the big bed, retrieving her bathrobe lying there. Despite the fact that her face was scrunched up in anger, he still found her to be breathtakingly beautiful with the moon light falling on her pale skin. She put the garment on, but left it open and turned to him. The white furred collar of her robe made her look like an ice queen in the silver light.

"A girl's first time is supposed to be special; something that she'll remember for the rest of her life! And you just ruined it!"

She knew she was being dramatic, but the shame she felt made her unreasonable and she couldn't care less when she saw Natsu leap out of the bed and towards her because she'd already begun to close the bathroom door and then locked it.

"Luce." Three knocks. "Luce, let me in."

She slid down to the floor with her back against the door, pulling her knees up against her chest. "So I never gave a blow job in my life, big deal! I'm willing to learn!" she sniffled, wiping away tears with the sleeve of her robe.

Natsu got on his knees in front the door and sighed with a small smile, "When did I ever say that it wasn't any good? I thought I made it to the finish line, didn't I?"

She blushed at that before rolling her eyes, feeling stupid. "I just thought… I thought it'd be easier, you know?"

"Less painful?" Natsu helped.

"Well, yeah," Lucy whispered, hiding behind her knees. "I got scared."

"Did I—?"

"Oh yeah!" She said without hesitation. "You did. I kind of wish you showed me that _thing_ a few days ago so I could've prepared." She paused there and then burst out laughing. He began laughing too and they sat in comfortable silence afterwards, the awkwardness from before almost gone.

"Luce?"

"Yeah?"

"Come back to bed."

The softness of his voice swayed her and she rose up on her feet again, opening the door to find him standing there, still naked. "Hide that thing, will ya?"

Natsu grinned and looked down at himself. "Why? I thought you wanted to become used to it. Hiding it won't erase its existence, it'll still be there; throbbing and aching for you."

"Oh God shaddap!" she shrieked, running towards the bed with a giggle only to be held back by his arms around her waist.

He chuckled and kissed her cheek playfully. "Say you want it."

She glanced over her shoulder at him, "No!"

"Alright, that hurts my feelings," he said in a light tone, still smirking, "In that case can I offer you something for the delicious service you gave me earlier?"

Lucy chuckled and rested the back of her head against his shoulder. "Now I feel like some kind of whore," she said, grinning and rolling her eyes when he growled approvingly. "What are you offering me, kind sir?"

Natsu smiled against her temple and tightened his hold on her. "There are other ways to make you experience the first joys of sex, Luce…" he murmured in her ear, feeling the subtle shiver that ran down her spine, "Ever been eaten out before?"

One of his hands slid down her stomach and further as her body went weak in his arms. "I've only… h-heard about it f-from Kanna…I—"

Natsu cupped his wandering hand over the apex of her thighs through her robe and bit his lip at the quivering gasp he got from her. "I can't wait to find out how you taste, Luce…"

Her cheeks turned a furious pink at that and she became short of breath. "N-Natsu…" she whimpered, closing a hand over his rubbing against her core, "I… Oh God…!"

He chuckled, "Nope it's just me, Luce." He removed his hand from between her thighs and pulled the folds of her robe apart, pulling it over and down her shoulders. He let out an appreciative sigh at the sight of her naked beauty and let go of the robe so his fingers could feast on the velvet smoothness that was her skin. He watched how she shivered again as he ran a finger down the middle of her back. "Turn around, babe, let me see you."

Lucy moistened her dry lips and then slowly turned, eyes filled with want again, mouth hanging slightly open, chest heaving with anticipation. Their eyes met and she saw nothing but ardent desire reflected in his dark ones, the heat of his want colliding with hers violently, making her dizzy with need.

"Damn, Luce…" he murmured, his eyes wandering down her erotic curves. He'd seen her naked before, both with and without her permission, but seeing her now was like seeing her for the first time all over again, leaving him mesmerized. From her full breasts and her small nipples to the flat planes of her stomach and the soft rounding of her hips, there was nothing about her that didn't turn him on. But right now, he especially liked the way she smelled.

Like she was ready to be _eaten_.

He took her by the hand and led her to the bed, laying her body down on mattress, eyes never leaving hers to give her comfort.

She smiled up at him and then bit her lip as he made his way down her body, worshipping her with nothing but his mouth as he went. Her fingers tangled in the salmon mass of his hair. "Natsu…"

Natsu pressed a kiss against her underbelly and then looked up at her a last time before he made her part her legs. He stared at what was presented in front of him for a moment, smirked, and then slowly lowered his head.

That first, tentative lick had her gasping his name and arching off the bed in pleasant surprise.

"You taste _so_ sweet, Luce…" he murmured against her moist heat, using two fingers to keep her open for his tongue to explore her with thick strokes. His other hand lay on her hip, to keep her pinned to the mattress as her moans and whimpers grew in volume when he began a series of flapping licks against her swollen bud.

She couldn't breathe, it was like something was building up inside of her at a frightening pace and she couldn't control what her body was doing anymore; even the slightest puff of his breath against her got her closer and closer to that boiling point. "Natsu! N-Natsu please!"

And then, when he pressed his entire mouth against her and licked and suckled in earnest, something snapped inside of her and she found herself screaming his name a moment later, her body ransacked by tremors all over.

He watched her orgasm for the very first time, captivated by how beautiful she looked in her rapture; with her hair sticking to her face and throat, skin shining with a thin layer of sweat, nipples proudly erected and lips parted in erotic bliss. Natsu waited for her body to come off from its high enough so he could climb on her and kiss her lips, giving her a taste of herself.

It was like she woke from a slumber, each one of her movements were languid and slow; it felt like she was experiencing everything through a thick veil that only let part of what she felt and saw through. She vaguely noticed him putting her right calf over his shoulder and something hard pushing against her entrance before it breached her and entered, filling her up with heavy throbbing heat. Lucy merely moaned weakly at the sensation, finding it a tad weird, but not entirely unpleasant.

That is, until Natsu began to move.

She snapped out of her orgasmic daze the second he pinned her left hand with his right one against the bed, grabbed her left breast in his other hand, thrust his hips and bent over to engulf the nipple into his mouth hungrily.

"T-Too much…!" she gasped, head rolling from side to side as he split her open again and again without ever stopping his lavish assault on her nipple with his teeth, lips and tongue.

He only groaned and thrust harder; making her one free breast jiggle violently with every stroke. She couldn't escape him; his body was pressing her thigh against her abdomen, making any countermovement nearly impossible.

She had no choice but to take it and with that to let the maelstrom build inside of her again while she sobbed, cried and whimpered his name between gasps and moans.

"Natsu… _**yes**_…!"

…

…

Her face had been resting against her pulled up knees for the past five minutes now.

"Luce—"

She lifted her head and gave him a murderous look. "How did you forget to put on the goddamn condom?!"

Natsu winced and scratched the back of his head. "It was the heat of the moment!"

She rolled her eyes and wacked him over the head with her pillow, jumping out of the bed. "That's your answer to fucking everything!"

"Luce—"

"_No_! You ruined my first time! "

And the door to the bathroom fell shut.

* * *

_**It's fun to get hits and to have this bundle of one-shots favorited so many times, but what I really want is feedback! How am I supposed to know if the massive amounts of people reading this even like it? Also if any of you have requests, feel free! Authors live on feedback people, if you stop feeding you stop receiving (so to speak).**_

_**Catch ya'll on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-  
**_


	5. Never far Never lost Never alone

**_Never far, Never lost, Never alone_**

* * *

The bar was effervescent and bustling like it always was; the sound of clicking glass and laughing men heard all around.

Grey was sitting next to him with Jubia in his lap, exchanging stories of his latest mission with her. To be honest he'd never expected for Grey to fall for her that fast, but he was glad for him nonetheless. He'd just never tell him that, of course.

Mirajane placed his fire drink in front of him with a friendly smile. "So where's Lucy?"

"She said she'd be here later," he replied, taking his drink in both hands. "She didn't say it, but I know she's at the Cathedral for the afternoon mass."

Grey turned his head to him questioningly, "I didn't know she'd become a devout believer?"

He smiled sadly, "Not a devout one, just one in need of extra comfort. It'll be the anniversary of her mother's passing in a few days."

"Oh…" Grey said with a nod. "She said her father moved her mother's grave to Caldera Cemetery on the hill."

"Why aren't you with her, Natsu?" Mirajane asked, putting away the glass she'd been cleaning.

"Won't it be weird?" he asked, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't want to be invading…"

"Because you've never done that before!" Grey mocked smugly.

Mirajane chuckled and moved away to tend to her other costumers. Natsu glared at him.

"Natsu-san, Jubia thinks you should go."

Natsu looked at her in surprise. "You do?"

She hopped off Grey's lap and leaned against the bar, smiling softly. "She will need all the comfort she can get… no one wants to be alone in their grief."

Grey placed a hand on her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "You do realize that her father left her mother here so she could be close to her and Lucy has never had anyone to share her grief with, if her relationship with her dad is any indication."

Jubia smiled up at Grey before looking back at Natsu. "Natsu-san may be the only person she wants to share it with."

Natsu thought about it for a moment, contemplating his drink. Two years now since they started this relationship and he was still learning this concept of privacy Lucy held so high. He knew there were times she needed to be on her own and that he had to accept and respect that and he figured that mourning on the day of her mom's death was one of those things she needed to be alone for as well; he did ask to go with her once, but she'd declined the offer and he'd left it at that. Now that he thought about it, perhaps he should've insisted that time.

He found comfort in her whenever the day of Igneel's disappearance drew near, so it hurt him to think that she couldn't find that same comfort in him on the days she needed it the most.

Natsu emptied his drink and grabbed his red jacket from the stool left from him.

* * *

It'd been nine years to the day.

The bouquet of white roses and Lilies landed gently on the white stone of her grave.

"Hey mom," she whispered, sniffling, holding back her tears. She took a breath and tilted her head back, cherishing the soft autumn breeze that played with the strands of her hair. It almost felt like a caress of soft fingertips and this time when the tears came she let them go.

"Sorry it's just me again this year… I hope all is well up there? I'm sure you're having fun, but don't forget about us down here, alright?" she bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I'm saying that, but I'm actually doing alright! I don't want to worry you!" she chuckled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hands. "Natsu and I are still together and although he drives me crazy most of the time, I wouldn't be able to imagine my life without him…" she paused here again and opened her eyes, smiling. "Yesterday morning he tried to make me pancakes, mom! He nearly burnt down my apartment trying!" she laughed at the memory, shaking her head. "I wish you could've met him, mom. He's so carefree and warm, just like you. I just know you two would've gotten along well! I wish…" Lucy sighed and looked away. "I'm ready for him to come and share you with him, but I can't ask him to shoulder my sadness on top of his own, can I mom? He's lost so much… we both have…"

Natsu arrived on the top of the hill behind her and contented himself with quietly watching her talk about the most mundane things and the stuff she held dear. She talked about him the most and it occurred to him that her need for him came through in her words without her actually saying it.

He only then realized how lonely she must've felt in that aspect of their relationship. Natsu smiled sadly to himself and moved closer, ready for her to accept him in her secluded garden of solitude.

"I hope we'll be together for a long time to come. He's amazing," Lucy whispered, one tear falling down her still smiling face. "And I love him, mom. So much…" She quieted down and took a steadying breath, but couldn't stop her shoulders from shaking.

Warm hands wrapped around her and she gasped in surprise, but relaxed when his soft baritone whispered in her ear. She sighed in relief and joy of having him with her and turned around to bury her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Lucy shook her head against him and held him tighter. "I'm just glad you came, Natsu," she said, snuggling closer when he pressed a kiss on the top of her head.

Another soft breeze passed by them as they stood together in front of the grave, watching the wind play with the bouquet on top of the white stone.

"_Never far… never lost… never alone…_" Natsu whispered, looking down at her. It was a promise he'd made to her at the beginning of their relationship and it worked soothingly in this particular situation.

Lucy brushed away another tear from her cheek and nodded, leaning against him.

"Never alone."

* * *

_**Thank you for the encouragement and the hits!**_

_**And to answer Mina's complaint : there's a 2 part one shot coming up which will be a little longer than usual, is that okay? Lol. I'm not going to write a long-fic, because I tend to never finish them! One-shots are a great way for me to play with all kinds of ideas that pop into my head without having to worry about existing plot requierments!**_

_**Catch ya'll on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-  
**_


	6. No Love Lost Part one

_**(No) Love Lost 1/2**_

* * *

Did this watermelon smell ripe enough?

She looked at it questioningly. "Baby, does this smell right?"

Natsu sniffed the air absentmindedly as he looked up at a ham hanging from a hook at the other side of the small grocery shop. "Sure, Luce, it smells ripe."

She glanced over at him and smirked at the sight of him drooling over the ham. "I think my boob just popped out of my top," she said in a detached manner, testing him.

Natsu blinked and nodded, still staring at the meat hanging in front of him. "Uh huh, that's great, Luce."

She put the watermelon back down with an appalled sigh. "So if I was strutting around naked, you'd still be drooling all over that ham, is that what you're trying to tell me?"

Natsu chose that moment to completely turn around with a disinterested "Hmm?"

Lucy sighed in defeat and moved with her groceries towards the cashier. "Seriously, even Happy can get more attention from you than me these days!"

"Huh?!"

She waved him away and shook her head. "Never mind, help me carry these please?"

That was strike two today. Did she imagine it; or was Natsu acting more aloof than ever before? Their anniversary was in a few days, was he perhaps planning something?

Natsu took the paid groceries from her with a questioning frown, but didn't ask any further.

* * *

"Natsu! Naatsuu!"

Natsu lifted his head from where it had been resting in the crook of Lucy's shoulder as they watched the pasta boil in the saucepan on the stove in front of them.

"Happy?" Lucy said, looking up also at the flying blue cat. He must've flown in through the open window.

"Hey, Happy," Natsu greeted, arms still wrapped around Lucy's waist. "What's up?"

Happy bounced around in the air cheerfully before landing on top of the dragon slayer's head. "I found her, Natsu! I found her! She's here!"

Natsu let go of Lucy and grabbed the cat off of his head with big eyes. "She is?! No way! Where, Happy?"

"I'll take you! We have to hurry though; she can move it at any minute! We can't miss this chance!"

"Alright! Let's go, Happy!"

And before Lucy could even throw a word in, both of them were already gone.

That was the third time this week that this happened. Happy would fly in with bits of information only he and Natsu understood without even bothering to fill her in and then they'd be gone a moment later.

Today was Thursday and never had she heard them talk about something that risked to be moved or about a 'she' they needed to go see in order to retrieve said item. Was the item a present for their anniversary? But if so, then who the hell was 'she' and why did Natsu seem so excited about meeting her?!

* * *

She watched him inhale the food she'd spent all afternoon cooking in 10.7 seconds flat.

The pasta dish, the fried fish, smashed yams and potatoes, the smoked meat and the pumpkin soup. Nothing lasted more than 15 seconds the minute she put it all on the table.

Except for the salad.

"Oh wow! Thanks for the meal, Lucy!"

Lucy watched him pull his chair back and loosen his belt to let his bulging belly free. "You're welcome," she said, standing back up to clear the table.

He reached for the empty plates as well. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Watching your boyfriend ingurgitate his food like he hasn't eaten in weeks kind of kills the mood for a romantic dinner, doesn't it?" Was all she said, collecting the empty plates without so much of a glance his way. "A dinner he promised he'd be here to help me with, FYI."

"Oh Luce, don't be that way…"

"What way?" she replied, walking to the kitchen now. "How do you think I'm feeling? Is it unjustified? Is that what you're saying? I should just roll over and accept your weird and distant behavior without asking questions?"

Natsu blinked, not following. Where was all of this coming from all of a sudden? "Err… Huh?"

She dropped the dishes in the sink with an aggravated sigh and turned to him standing in the kitchen door opening, hand on her hip. "Natsu—"

There was a loud ticking against the glass of her window. They both looked and saw Happy floating on the outside, waving at Natsu and pointing at his watchless wrist. _"We gotta go!"_ he mouthed.

"Oh crap, already?!" Natsu exclaimed, beginning to turn towards the window before he remembered and ran up to Lucy to kiss her but she turned her head and he ended up kissing her cheek instead. "I'll be back later, ok?" he whispered, sighing when she closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. "I'm sorry."

She watched him jump out of the window and grab onto Happy's tail, disappearing into the night a moment later.

"If you were really sorry you'd tell me where you're going!" Lucy whispered, running into the living room and grabbing her jacket from the holder by the door, exiting her apartment to follow her boyfriend and his stupid cat.

* * *

They landed in a darkened alley in the south-east district of town.

Lucy took a step back behind the corner she was hiding, closing her jacket closer around herself as she strained to watch what was going on a few feet away. She'd followed them as soon as they left her apartment, preferring to know what her other half was up to that made him neglecting her so. She'd already decided that if it was another woman, she'd first beat the crap out of him and that skank and then kick him out; she'd find a place to crawl in and die later. This was a scary venture, she was aware of that, but she hated being left in the dark, especially when it came to Natsu.

So she quietly watched as both the dragon slayer and the feline entered a small building and disappeared behind a heavy iron door.

Her eyes lifted up to the red neon sign above the door.

She took a shuddering breath and bit back her tears, refusing to let the name of the establishment blur from her vision.

"_**The Black Lotus"**_

A strip club.

Lucy pressed her lips together and sniffled, stubbornly taking it all in. Was there a logical explanation to all of this? His aloofness, the secrets she knew he was keeping from her, the diminished time they'd been spending together and the all-round awkwardness of certain moments when they were alone…

Did it all mount to this?

Was it true?

She closed her eyes and took a few steps back, trying hard to catch her breath that suddenly fell short.

A year and half of them being together and this was how/ where it all ended?

She gritted her teeth and angrily wiped away a tear that rolled down her face.

* * *

Three hours had passed since she'd gotten back and crawled into bed. Natsu had climbed in fifteen minutes earlier.

"Uhnnn…!"

"God yeah, Luce… That's good… that's so good, babe…"

The bed squeaked beneath them as she moved her hips in slow circles on top of his, her fingertips digging into his chest as his dug into the flesh of her thighs.

Natsu bit his lower lip as she leaned and placed her hands backwards on his thighs behind her. He watched her pant his name to the ceiling and moving her hips faster, eyes shut tight and body growing tenser. "Fuck, Luce…"

"Hah… ah… Natsu, baby…?" she breathed, bending over again and kissing him.

"Yeah?"

She moaned at one particularly delicious stroke, straining for release and so dangerously close… "Don't talk."

He looked up at her, a little thrown off. "So, what?"

"So what what?" she gasped, throwing her head back in pleasure. "Nnnhmmm!"

He watched her climax, his own pleasure completely gone. "What the hell, Luce?" Usually when they had sex, they both tried to please the other in an effort to procure mutual satisfaction. Now it was like he was nothing more than a mean to get her to her climax.

She fell on top of him, completely spent, breathing heavily. "That was delicious, Natsu," she whispered in his ear before climbing off of him and off the bed. She padded over to the bathroom without so much as a glance his way, shook her sweaty hair out with her hands and closed the door behind her.

_What, no jewel bills thrown next to me?_ He thought bitterly, hurt by her behavior.

He got out of bed, walked over to the bathroom, opened the door, moved past the sink and toilet and drew the plastic curtains back of the shower. "Lay it on me."

Lucy lazily turned her head his way before stepping forwards into the warm spray of water. "Can we do this later? I just want to take a shower and go to bed…" she whispered, tilting her head back with a sigh while running her hands over her now wet hair.

Natsu gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "You obviously have something to tell me, so just spill it, Lucy!"

"You're the one who came rushing into here, so I would think you have something to tell me, Natsu," she said, unfazed. She reached for her cherry scented shower gel and a soft sponge.

"Lucy, what's going on?" he sighed, not wanting to fight and trying really hard to understand what went wrong. "Did I do something to upset you? Are you still mad about before?"

Lucy remained silent as she stepped away from the jet of water and spread the sweet smelling foam over her entire body.

"Lucy, come on—"

She stepped back underneath the spray and washed herself off. She turned towards him and let the water hit her back, her naked front glistening. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me, Natsu?"

He blinked, frowning. "No."

Lucy only watched him for a moment and then turned off the shower, stepped out and reached for a clean towel in the nearby closet, enclosing it around her body as she padded her way back out of the small room and turning off the light in the bathroom as she went.

* * *

The necklace glistened on the velvet cushion of the box it came in with.

In the end, it did come too late.

"Do you think she would've liked it, Happy?"

The blue cat landed on the top of his head, his ears cast down as he looked at what would've been Natsu's gift to Lucy for his and her anniversary two days ago. "She would've, Natsu… I'm sure she would've…"

Natsu closed the box and sighed, brushing away a stray tear. "I still think I should give it to her. After all, I did it all for her and it is her mother's necklace."

Happy lay down on his stomach with a sniffle. "Natsu…"

"It's okay, Happy… I guess it just wasn't meant to be, huh?" he said with a sad smile, descending the steps of the boutique and onto the busy shopping street.

"Natsu I'm sure Lucy still loves you," Happy whispered.

"I'm sure she does," he said, still smiling. "But I can't make her trust me when she obviously thinks I'm not trustworthy."

"Natsu… you knew?" Happy wondered, jumping off the top of his head and landing next to him on the ground.

"I could smell her from the moment she left the apartment to follow us."

Happy looked up at his friend silently.

"It was supposed to be a surprise and I guess I handled it poorly."

"That's it?!" Happy exclaimed, shocked, "Are you serious? Natsu?!"

"Happy," Natsu said, turning to him briefly before walking on. "I'll be fine."

"You've always been a crappy liar." Happy whispered as he watched him go with tears in his eyes.

"Both you and Lucy are…"

* * *

**_TBC in part 2..._**

**_-BDP-_**


	7. No Love Lost Part Two

_**(No) Love lost 2

* * *

**_

The necklace lay on the table where she'd left it on once she'd opened the package it came in with.

She sniffled and wrapped her arms around herself from her position in her pink couch. "Thank you," she said, looking at him with faked indifference.

"Do you like it?"

Lucy rolled her eyes away. "Sure."

Natsu scoffed and began to walk towards the door and then thought against it. "Fuck this."

Lucy turned her head his way. "Just get out, Natsu."

"No," he said, walking back towards her.

"Natsu what the fuck?" she said, recoiling in her seat.

He moved in close and stared at her. "So this is how you want to play it?"

"Get out of my face."

Natsu didn't move. "Or what?"

She shoved him away, moving out of her couch. "What right do you think you have, huh? Coming into my house, acting all though after what you did?!"

Natsu bit on his tongue as he held back his own anger, shaking his head. "After what I did? After what _I_ did?! Just what the hell is it that you think that I did, Lucy? You never established that in the first place! I didn't know that going into a strip joint was considered to be a crime nowadays!"

She scoffed and laughed humorlessly at that. "Oh, so you're just going to dismiss it like that?"

Natsu stepped up to her again, staring her down. "Why don't you just admit it?"

She slapped him, offended by what she knew he was implying. "Fuck you."

He ran the tip of his tongue over the inside of his stinging cheek. "The moment you saw me walk into that club you had already written me off."

Her eyes were looking at him coldly when he looked up at her again, her lips trembling as she breathed a little harder. "Did you fuck her?"

"Have I ever given you reason to doubt me, Lucy?"

She took a step back as he took another closer. Her balled fists were trembling by her sides. "Did you fuck her?"

He'd never planned on saying it, but it was out before he knew it.

"Or is it just because you never did trust me in the first place?"

Lucy gasped at those words, the tears that threatened to fall now rolling down her cheeks. How could he say such a thing? How dared he imply that—

"Did you?" Natsu asked, throwing all caution to the wind now that he'd said it, his voice soft and face dangerously close to hers again. He wanted to let her know that she wasn't the only one hurting here.

She stared up at him defiantly, bumping with her back against a wall. Just because she accused him of being unfaithful it didn't mean she'd always thought of him as an untrustworthy man. It was a horribly painful thing to say, especially after two years.

"Did you fuck her, you asshole?" she said from between clenched teeth, teary eyes still holding his.

He sighed and rested his elbows against the wall above her shoulders, anger draining away completely as he watched the tears threatening to fall down her face. He hated seeing her cry. "Luce, what do you think?"

"I think you're a stupid SOB, Natsu."

"Fuck, Lucy!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up, now exasperated by her stubbornness. "I did not fuck her! The lady who owns the place has connections with jewelers all over Fiore and she knew where your mother's necklace was, that's it!"

"That's why I say you're a stupid SOB."

He stared at her, partly stunned into silence at her utter lack of tact now that he had explained himself. "What—"

"How long do you think we've been in this relationship, huh?" she whispered, her eyes pleading now as she leaned into him, "Two years! I know you; I know you knew I was following you that night! Was it a test? Did you want to test me and see what kind of conclusions I was going to draw out of seeing you go in there?"

"What?" Natsu said softly, moving back. "No, Luce."

"Then what, huh?" she whimpered, hitting his chest with her fist weakly, having lost the will to pretend being angry and resigning to the hurt that had burnt a hole in her chest ever since he left. "What, Natsu?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise, Luce…" he whispered back, taking her head in his hands. "I didn't want for you to draw the wrong conclusions, but I thought— by the way you acted that you—"

"How could I not, Natsu?" she sobbed, grabbing onto his vest. "A strip club? Any girlfriend would start asking questions when she sees her boyfriend enter a strip club on his own, in the middle of the night!"

"Just for the record," he said with a small smile, "it wasn't the middle of the night and I was with Happy."

"Please don't joke about this, not now," she whispered in a whiny tone, resting her forehead head against his chest. "God…"

Natsu wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "When did we get so out of sync, babe?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it…" she whispered in a small voice, burying her face in his chest. "Natsu…"

"I'm so sorry, Luce…"

She sniffled and looked up at him, twin tears rolling down the long her face. "I'm sorry too. Let's just try again? Please?"

He gave her a tender smile and rubbed the tears from her eyes with his thumbs before moving in to kiss her softly on her trembling, chapped lips. His arms went around her again as he looked into her pale face. In the two weeks they'd been separated she'd lost some weight and his heart ached when he thought about what she'd been through during his absence. He'd heard some things from Erza and Mirajane, but his own pain and shame had kept him from seeing her and now, as he held her, he wished he'd come by sooner.

"Please don't cry anymore, Luce…" he said in a chocked voice.

"Kiss me…" she whimpered, getting on her toes to get closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Please…"

He kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears and watching her lips quiver as she waited for him to claim them again, breathing turning into small, soundless gasps, body relaxing against the wall.

"Natsu, plea—"

He pounced on her, hands grabbing her by her hips to show her his desire, pinning her against the surface with a hungry and needy kiss. She moaned, breaking the kiss for much needed air and he planted his lips in her neck, his hands sliding up the sides of her body to take hold of her breasts through her sweater, playing with them in the palm of his hands while his right knee nudged her legs apart to settle against the apex of her thighs. His tongue slid passed her lips when she jolted and arched against him, his mouth taking possession of hers again as she mewled and wordlessly begged for more. Her hands frantically worked on sliding his vest off his shoulders as he pulled down her red short shorts and her underwear with it. He'd already unbuckled and unzipped his pants by the time he made her naked legs wrap around his waist. She gasped his name and hit the back of her head against the wall when he entered her, tightening the hold of her legs against his buttocks with each of his long, strong strokes.

To have him inside of her again was bliss and the love and passion he bestowed upon her was still as overwhelming as it was two years ago. She was still in love with him, as much as she was two years ago and that's why she knew it would kill her if he ever decided to leave again.

"I missed you so badly, Luce…"

She opened her eyes again as he slid them down to the floor and lay her down. Her legs fell open as he moved back and stared at her panting in her oversized sweatshirt, looking at him from behind half-lidded eyes.

She was a fucking goddess.

Natsu crawled closer again, nuzzling his way down a thigh before pressing a soft kiss on her hairless pubic mound and moving up, dragging the sweatshirt along as he went, kissing the exposed skin.

It'd been two years, but it still felt like the first time, still felt as mind blowing, as exciting and still as new. He discovered something every time they did this; the way she would gasp when he'd touch her here, the way she'd clutch to him when he'd lick her just there… he cherished the way she screamed, panted, whispered, moaned and sobbed his name when she balanced so delicately on the brink of rapture.

"Luce…" he said in a low, scratchy voice, nuzzling the skin of her throat as her sweatshirt caught around her wrists above her head. He could feel her shiver beneath him, moaning beseechingly as his weight settled on top of her, his hard body moving over hers when he intertwined their fingers and kissed her deeply.

She tried to catch her breath when he released her lips and their gazes locked, but her heart skipped a beat when a small smirk appeared on his lips and he rocked his hips against hers, making her throw her head back and gasp his name.

"Are you ready for me?"

He entered her again and he watched her arch, breasts quivering beautifully as she did.

"Natsu…!" she whimpered, eyes shut tightly as he took suckle on her breasts, feasting on them eagerly as his hips worked in hard and fast thrusts against her, dominating her completely, turning her mind into mush when all thought flew right out the window each time he breathed her name against her skin in time with his strokes.

He let go of her hands and straightened up, moving his hands to rest against her lower back and pulling her into a sitting position across his lap. She let go of the sweatshirt still holding her wrists captive and wrapped her arms around his neck, moaning into the kiss that followed, body moving up and down to the speed he'd set.

They were both starting to tense up, the pleasure nearing its undeniable peak, but she could still feel him holding out for her, wanting to take her there and back, to fall apart with him and come together as one.

"I love you."

And she came. In a flood. A torrent. A whirlwind of colorful emotions that had him as its center, keeping her steady and yet scattering her again and again.

Her polished hardwood floor felt cold on her back as she stared at the ceiling, panting erratically with a blissful smile on her face.

His smiling face is the next thing she sees, her fingertips sliding through his damp hair the next thing she feels. Her senses are overflowing with him; the rich experience, _sensation_ of being his —of being loved by _this_ man— filling her with a sense of gratefulness complemented by a heightened state of fortunateness.

He kisses the wrist of the hand playing in his hair and then looks at her, his eyes telling her all she wants and needs to hear.

They tell her that there was never any love lost.

And that there never will be.

* * *

_**Phew done!**_

_**Catch ya'll on the next one! Oh and leave a message if you liked or didn't like!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	8. Ablaze Girl Talk

_**Ablaze ~Girl Talk~**_

* * *

"So, has he made a move yet?"

Lucy watched her friend blush and pull her blue hair behind her ears, biting her lower lip guiltily. "Hesitantly… clumsily… but so cute!"

Lucy sat down with her drinks at Levy's table and slid the glass of grape juice her way. "And…? Have you decided on doing something together?"

Levy took a nervous breath as she lifted her glass. "We already went on a date and…"

Lucy shifted closer in her seat, leaning forward impatiently. "What? What?"

Levy blushed even more and put her drink down, looking around herself to make sure there weren't any onlookers. "Well…"

And then she unzipped her jacket further down her cleavage and pushed a bit of the fabric covering most of her right breast aside.

Lucy's mouth fell open. "You didn't."

She quickly zipped up again and leaned in, whispering: "We did."

Lucy sat back in complete disbelief. "Oh my God, Levy!"

The other girl laughed silently. "Hey, say whatever you want, but I damn well needed it!"

They giggled at that and drank from their drinks.

Lucy waited as the silence between them grew and Levy didn't give any indication of continuing the tale of her sexcapade with the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Ok, I can tell from the size of that hickey that it wasn't vanilla sex, so enlighten me!"

"Lucy! Shhh!" Levy giggled giddily, "I haven't told anyone else yet that I'm seeing Gajeel!"

Lucy waved her protest away with a hand. "So, how many times did you come?"

"Lucy!"

"I remember the first time Natsu and I had sex…" Lucy continued, reminiscing, "God, just having him touch me back then made me lose my mind! It was so intense…"

"There were moments I thought I would die, Lucy…" Levy whispered, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around herself. "Intense isn't even the right word to describe it; it's like my body melted in his hands and I was trapped. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe; all of my senses were focused on him and there wasn't enough room for anything else."

…

Lucy watched with a small smile as she talked, noting how her friend's features progressively changed as she remembered. The blush covering her cheeks slowly spread over her entire face and down to her chest, her lips were parted whenever she paused and she was close to panting as her body grew more and more aroused.

She recognized herself in those tell-tale reactions.

_Finally, Levy…_

"So, how many times did you come?" Lucy jokingly asked, deciding to bring her friend back, if only for the sake of decency.

Levy bit her lip and opened her eyes, grinning mischievously. "I lost count."

Lucy grinned back above her glass. Something behind Levy then suddenly caught her eye. "Hey, you know what else I've learned from having a relationship with a Dragon Slayer?"

Levy followed her friend with her eyes as Lucy moved to stand. "What?"

Lucy leaned forwards to whisper in her ear as she passed her. "Once they've claimed you as their woman, they can smell you wanting them from ten miles away. And believe me, they're always up for a round, even if you've gone 5 rounds with them the night before or you're tired out of your mind and just lying there. But most of all; they never let go."

Levy laughed and turned to watch Lucy go up to Natsu who'd just returned from a two days mission. There was passion and love in the way Natsu took her in his arms, need and want in the way he kissed her. Before leaving, Lucy looked at her again and winked, pointing towards the balcony of the second floor.

Levy looked up and sure enough she found Gajeel looking at her intensely before he moved away and descended the stairs. She felt the heat pooling in the pit of her stomach and had she not been sitting down, she's sure her knees would've given out on her. This was the first time she'd ever felt something like this for one single man. She craved for him to touch her again, to claim her, to make her scream his name with a voice rough from crying out her pleasure again and again and again.

Each of his heavy footsteps echoed through her, the sheer power of each step resounding in time with each of her longing heartbeats.

Her throat went dry when their eyes locked again and it was like everything melted away and she found herself walking up to him, her stomach contracting nervously on itself, her mind hazy, but her heart determined and wanting.

She'd cast aside her doubts about him the moment he'd saved her from Laxus.

She'd begun to see the sweet and sensitive being he truly was that day when he'd told her in his own way that he appreciated her.

He'd first made her laugh that day when he visited her on her sickbed after his fight with Laxus. Even though he could barely walk himself, seeing him make such an effort for her had really warmed her heart and before she knew it…

They'd gone out, just been on a night in the town, and when the moment came for her to return to the dorm, he'd held her back by her wrist and pulled her close, snatching her breath and heart away with a hesitant, clumsy kiss.

She never returned to her dorm that night.

He was insecure yet strong, quiet yet fierce, brass yet affectionate, blunt and yet very, very funny.

It had taken some time, but it had happened.

The spark ignited.

She planted a kiss in the palm of his right hand when he moved it up to cup her face and then looked up at him, trying to convey with her eyes what it was she truly saw in him, wanting him to understand.

His eyes widened for a moment and she smiled back reassuringly, sliding her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

She'd long since stopped caring about what the other members of the guild could think about her relationship with Gajeel.

She couldn't care less and by the way she saw him smirk back she knew he couldn't give a rat's ass either.

They would make their own way.

"You smell good," he whispered in her ear after the kiss.

And she wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.

* * *

_**Up next : Ablaze ~Men Talk~**_

_**Thanks for the support you guys! Aww… You guys are the best!**_

_**Catch ya'll on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	9. Ablaze Men Talk

_**Ablaze ~Men Talk~

* * *

**_

"Her eyes."

Both Natsu and Gajeel stared at Grey.

"Dude, her eyes?!" Natsu reiterated mockingly, watching his fishing line with a grin. "I thought you'd say something in the lines of 'her thighs' or 'her breasts' or something like that."

"There's nothing wrong with those," Grey stated looking over the glittering lake with a small mischievous grin, leaning against a rock. He took a swig from his beer bottle, "But it's her eyes that speak to me the most, that's all."

"Oh brother…" Gajeel commented sarcastically, throwing a small rock into the water.

"How about you then, huh?" Grey asked, pulling a reed stem from the grass around them and putting it in his mouth. "What's the most attractive feature, beside the most obvious ones, that Levy has?"

Gajeel took a moment and then smiled to himself. "Her intelligence."

Both Natsu and Gray stared at him.

"So, when you guys have sex you go all 'Oh Levy I love your intelligence' ?" Natsu said, honestly surprised while Grey was dying of laughter behind him.

Gajeel glared at him. "What are you, retarded? Of course not!"

"Then what?" Grey asked, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes.

Gajeel fell silent again and grabbed some more stones to throw into the water. "It's… the way she looks at things differently. I find it… interesting to see things the way she sees them. It's intriguing."

Natsu raised an eyebrow at that. "So you're just saying that her being smarter than you and you being the dumbass you are turns you on?"

Grey was rolling on the ground now, laughing.

"Who's the dumbass here, huh?" Gajeel exploded, jumping on his feet, "You, who doesn't even understand the concept intelligence or me, who understands and accepts it as part of the woman I… as part of her?"

Natsu grinned at the way he took back that last bit, but didn't say anything. Grey picked up on it too, but chose not to say anything either.

Gajeel was seeing red because of his mess-up and sat back down with his arms folded over his chest, grumbling indistinctively to himself.

"What about you, Flamebrain?" Grey asked, folding his arms behind his head and staring up at the pale blue sky, "What part of Lucy do you like most? Her legs, hips, breasts?"

Natsu grinned to himself. "Though I'm one hundred percent certain that she beats both your chicks in those departments, I have to say that I like her smile the most," he said, his voice gone soft.

There was a silence between the three men in which each of them thought of the woman they'd fallen in love with.

"So when you guys have sex…?" Gajeel said quietly.

"Actually yeah," Natsu replied, standing to pull his hook out the water. "I don't say it, but I like seeing it on her when we're doing it."

Grey watched him silently and then smiled in turn, finding truth in what Natsu'd just said.

Gajeel turned around to look at their girlfriends setting up the pick-nick feast they'd spent all morning preparing. Levy looked cute in her white and blue strapless top and jeans miniskirt. She was laughing at a joke Lucy'd made while she put plates on the dark green and white picknick cloth.

And Gajeel had to admit it: he loved to hear her laugh and seeing her smile was what he always strived for whenever he was with her.

Grey turned around too and looked at the girls setting up the picknick. He found Jubia absolutely breathtaking in her long, white halter dress. She'd done her hair up and just a few strands fell down her elegant neck. She kneeled next to Lucy with one of the dishes she'd taken out of the large picknick basket behind her and placed it in the middle of the cloth. She hid her giggle behind a hand as she heard Levy reply to Lucy's joke.

She was the prettiest woman to him whenever she smiled.

Natsu pulled the large fish out of the water with a proud grin. "Hey, Luce!" he called, catching the fish in one hand and pulling the hook out of its mouth. "Babe!"

Lucy stood up and walked over to him, passing Gajeel and Grey who decided to go help their respective ladies out for a bit.

"Whoa, Natsu!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him on his cheek. "Is that crowsalmon?"

He knew it was her favorite. "How do you want it?"

She smiled at him. "As long as you promise to gut it, it doesn't matter to me."

He kissed her. "Then grilled it is."

She laughed and went back, shaking her head. Like there was any other way he knew how to make it…

Natsu watched her go as she walked backwards and threw him a kiss, appreciating the way her slender legs looked in the sunlight underneath her white short shorts and how full and luscious her breasts looked in the soft purple, sleeveless top that hid her sinfully sexy hips.

But it was still her loving smile that got to him.

That soft and caring smile that set his world ablaze time and time again.

* * *

_**Catch ya'll on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	10. Luminescence

_**Luminescence**_

* * *

_Her eyes felt so heavy._

_"Didn't you know?"_

_She yawned behind a hand and shook her head. The rocking of the carriage didn't help much to keep her from falling asleep._

_"Those things are huge and I can't believe he exploded one of them in one blow!"_

_She sat back and smiled at him softly when he chuckled. The moment she decided to rest her eyes for a bit, she felt fingers trip down the side of her face, brushing a strand of her hair back._

_"You look tired," he whispered._

_She looked up at him and blushed at him being so close. She quickly averted her eyes again. "Don't worry about Juvia, Grey-sama. Juvia is fine."_

_Grey watched her for a moment longer and then sighed, moving back to stare out of the small window at the passing scenery._

_Juvia opened her eyes and looked at him silently, admiring his quiet reassurance and confident disposition._

_It'd been those two qualities of his that had saved her a few hours ago; she never would've finished the mission on her own without him there._

_Her face was growing red again as she thought of what he must've been thinking now that she so pitifully failed on a mission she picked out herself. How embarrassing…_

_She'd sworn to protect him and yet he ended up protecting her. On a mission he had no part in initially._

_She'd failed to find a partner for the mission and Grey'd probably felt the need to help her out of some misplaced feeling of guilt. He was too kind of a person… It had never been her intention to have him worry about her. Ever._

_She loved him too much for that._

_"I'm so sorry, Grey-sama."_

_He looked at her again, smiling comfortingly. "Hey, what for? And I told you; just Grey is fine."_

_She shook her head and sniffled, eyes directed to the floor as she desperately tried to keep the tears at bay. Every bone in her body ached and she felt like a complete failure as she sat there, feeling exhausted while she hadn't really done much to help him during the battle. "Juvia should have thought things through! Juvia never should've put Grey-sama in a position where he'd felt the need to protect her. Juvia doesn't deserve it… she is so sorry…"_

_Grey frowned a bit at her stubbornness, but couldn't help reaching out for her as she broke down in silent sobs. "Hey… we all make mistakes, it's no big deal," he said comfortingly. "Better luck next time, right?"_

_Juvia bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and turned her head to the side in an effort to hide the tears that now welled up from her eyes. _

_He'd grasped the meaning of every small thing she did for him a while ago, he'd understood from where her feelings were coming from and where he at first couldn't see the depth of her caring for him, he now saw how lucky he really was. It hadn't been hard… it had been surprisingly easy; all he'd had to do was open his eyes and see that she'd always been there. She had always wanted to be there with him and for him._

_She'd made it so surprisingly easy._

_"Shhh…" Grey whispered, silencing her soft sobs._

_The moment she looked up, his lips were covering hers and she stilled; eyes wide open in shock._

_Not only was she kind and beautiful, but she genuinely cared for him and loved him, despite his flaws. It had felt increasingly uncomfortable to see her put herself through so many hardships just because she loved him. He wanted to let her know now that he'd do the same for her and not only because they were nakama._

_He broke the kiss and stared into her teary eyes. "Well?" he murmured softly._

_Her trembling fingers touched where he'd kissed her, her eyes still shedding tears as she kept looking at him, clearly at a loss for words._

_He grinned and moved closer again, this time taking her face in his hands. "You're not alone in this anymore. You have me."_

_Juvia gasped, realizing the true meaning of his words with renewed shock. Her lower lip began to quiver and the tears welled up again, but this time for a whole different reason. "Grey-sam—"_

_Grey kissed her again, his lips sliding lazily over hers. By the time he broke the kiss she was panting and blushing even more._

_"I keep telling you," Grey murmured, nuzzling the tip of his nose against hers, "I don't want any of that. Please call me 'Grey', Juvia."_

_She hesitantly placed a hand against the side of his face in turn and slid it up into his hair. "Grey…"_

_He smiled and closed his eyes, leaning into her touch lovingly. "Don't put me on a pedestal… I don't want that."_

_"You're the one and only for me, Grey… I don't— I don't know how else to treat you; Juvia only always managed to make men run away from her. I don't know how else to—"_

_"You have me," he said again, interrupting her. "You have me; I don't want to leave you. So, how about me making you feel like you're indispensable to me?"_

_When next he began to take off his shirt, she silently hoped for Magnolia to still be far, far away. _

* * *

"So that's what happened?"

Both Juvia and Grey looked at their friends from their seat at the other side of the small vip room of the club. Grey grinned and lowered his head into the crook of Juvia's neck again, kissing his way up towards her ear.

Natsu smiled above his drink as he watched Grey's hand slide up Juvia's thigh. He could tell that their relationship was strong and passionate. Their personalities were complementary to each other: Grey learnt humility and a softspokenness he hadn't possessed before, Juvia had blossomed ever since she joined the guild and grown more confident and bold in her behavior and mannerisms. Truth be told, he and Lucy had been wondering when Grey would finally admit to what Juvia had been feeling for him the moment they'd met. It always felt nice to see two people find each other, especially when you almost gave up on ever seeing it happening.

"Well, I guess I have to admit defeat," Lucy said, looking at Natsu, who grinned back. "I'll have to settle with Natsu after all."

Juvia laughed at them and then looked up at Grey. "You two belong together, just like Grey and I do." She closed her eyes when he moved in to kiss her forehead.

Natsu kissed Lucy's temple and held her close. "To each her own, right?"

"You're damn right about that," Grey murmured, kissing Juvia on her lips again.

Lucy smiled and leaned into Natsu, remembering their first time.

* * *

_"Are you sure?"_

_Lucy took a breath and looked around her again. "No…"_

_Natsu smirked and kissed her. He felt her shiver. "Are you cold? Want me to heat up the water some more?"_

_She brushed a strand of wet hair out of her face and looked at the steaming water of the pool around them. "It's fine…" she whispered back softly, smiling up at him._

_They floated around in the water for a few moments, wordlessly looking at each other in the dim light of the hundreds of candles aligning the edges of the pool._

_Natsu could still sense that she was nervous. "There's no one here, I checked before we got into the water. The guild is empty."_

_"I know that," she whispered back, "I trust you. It's just…" she sighed and bit her lower lip, trying to find the right words._

_"We both want this," he murmured, kissing her lips, "but if it'll make you feel better; I'm nervous too."_

_She blinked in surprise at that. "Why? I'm the one who is supposed to try and live up to—" she fell silent again, closing her eyes in regret of what she was going to say._

_Natsu's eyes widened for a moment, but he smiled in understanding soon after. "I don't want you to try and live up to whatever you think you have to; Lisanna and you are two different persons. I could never draw a comparison between the two of you, nor would I want to. It's Lucy Heartfilia that I want, not Lisanna."_

_Lucy smiled tearfully at that and nodded, having found the courage for what was going to happen once more. "So why are you nervous?"_

_"Are you kidding?" Natsu replied and they both laughed. "Last time we did this, I was desperate and you were on the rebound. We both weren't exactly in favorable states of mind."_

_"True," Lucy whispered and then moved in to kiss him lovingly on his lips. "But you know what?"_

_"What?" Natsu whispered back, nuzzling her throat._

_Lucy let her head fall backwards and held in a gasp when his lips slid lower down her chest. "Since we both are in favorable states of mind right now, we can always try again until we get it right."_

_Natsu pulled her back to him so that they were face to face again. "Is that a challenge?"_

_Lucy blushed, the expression on his face right then and there oozing sex. Yet at the same time she frowned, not seeing how what she said could be taken as a… oh. "Oh…!"_

_He smirked deviously, his nervousness now completely gone. "How many times do you think we'll need?"_

_When he kissed her next, the last thought she had that night flew right out of the window and she let go, knowing that he'd be there to catch her, just like he promised. _

* * *

Lucy bit her lower lip at the memory and gasped when Natsu nibbled on her naked shoulder, loving the fact that they still felt passionate about one and other after so much time. She wished for Juvia nothing else but to be as happy as she was right now.

Because she knew that being loved and being able to return that love was the most cherished gift you could ever give a woman.

And if there was ever a man who understood that after everything he went through in his youth, then it was Grey. Ur had thought him well.

And there was no way that he would let go.

Not this time.

_____________________

* * *

_

**_Thanks for the support everyone! Catch ya'll on the next one! _**

**_-BDP-_**


	11. Conflagration

**_Ok, I needed to write another NaLu lemon! My fingers were itching to write it and I know a lot of you wanted one! Again, this is a standalone, not related to anything I've written so far. It's Ooc, like most of the rest and a bit hardcore..._**

**_'Conflagration' means "a very intense and uncontrolled fire", which I thought was fitting. (Noticed how some of my titles are somewhat related to fire?)_**

**_And again, thank you for your ongoing support of this! Cookies for everyone!_**

**_

* * *

Conflagration (Unbeta-ed)  
_**

* * *

So sexy... that body, those hips, those lips... he had to have them, she'd been tempting him long enough.

It'd been 3 months since she joined the guild and she'd been prancing around in her provocative outfits long enough. He'd make her his this time, no matter what.

"G-god, stop...!"

Her quivering gasps went unheard underneath the sound of his heavy breathing. He was panting her name in the side of her throat, his fingers battling with hers on the hem of her jeans skirt. He was winning, and he knew that she didn't really mind.

"Someone could see…"

Her breathless voice echoed through the small clearing in the woods. Their travel bags lay on the ground where they'd dumped them minutes before.

All in all, the job went well and the only thing that became more and more of a problem as it progressed were Natsu's pants. Seriously though, did she really think that dressing the way she did wouldn't have an effect on him? He knew she was still somewhat innocent, but she had to know that a deep cleavage combined with a white see through fabric and a microskirt just begged for sexual attention.

No matter _how hot_ it was.

"W-Wait…"

What for? Would it make any difference? She was going to give it up either way, she wasn't fooling him; her ass was pushing back against his crotch just as hard as he was pushing up against her and it actually made it easier for him to reach underneath her skirt and hook his fingers under the hem of her flimsy bikini bottom.

Before she'd managed to pull the bottom up, he already had his right hand between her thighs.

"Natsu…n-no!"

Oh she trembled, just there; he felt it and it made his grin grow wider.

She was loving this and he only grew more curious as to what else it was that he could do that would make her body react the way it just did.

Her legs had drawn together in a reflex and his hand was trapped, true, but it didn't matter because now he had her where he wanted her and he could let his free hand roam over her delicious curves that were already so thinly veiled by clothing.

"Luce… did you honestly not see this coming?" he murmured in her ear, closing his eyes at the sweet scent of her skin. "You can't lie to me, Luce… You want me; I can feel en smell it in the way your body reacts to mine and in the way my fingers are getting wetter between your legs."

The blush she'd sported from the moment he started this was growing redder and spreading lower onto her chest and breasts and soon he could smell her perspiration in the air.

"I…" she whimpered, grabbing on to the hand that cupped her left breast. She loudly moaned when his calloused fingertip grazed against her swollen bud and pushed back against him instinctively. "Don't! Oh fuck… I can't…"

"Let go and let me in," he all but purred, licking his lips as her body relaxed. "This fuck has been long overdue and you know it." He took a step back and removed his hands from her body. She turned and leaned against the tree behind her, looking debauched and deliciously disheveled, eyes dark with desire, lips red and swollen from worrying them. Her chest raised and fell quickly as she stared at him, hair loose and wild, renegade locks stuck to the thin veil of perspiration covering her skin.

Lucy passed the back of her hand over her lips and closed her eyes. "Natsu…"

"I want you, Luce. From the moment I first saw you," he murmured, letting his eyes roam over her frame.

"Me too," she admitted quietly.

Another grin formed on Natsu's lips at that and he began to take his vest off. "Luce, look at me."

Lucy sighed and turned her head his way only to see him strip. "Natsu—"

"I told you," he said, unbuckling his belt and taking off the blue piece of fabric with it. He let it fall on the ground and moved closer to her again. "I want you."

Lucy took a shaky breath and pressed her back against the tree a bit harder. "And let me guess, what you want, you get?" she said breathlessly.

He was pressed up against her again in a heartbeat, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. "You know it," he breathed, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

This time she didn't fight him and just closed her eyes when he reached for the hem of her shirt. She lifted her arms and let him pull the garment over her head, opening her eyes again and seeing the setting sun hit his exposed skin gorgeously.

Their eyes met and he heard her breathing hitch in her throat as her arousal increased suddenly, marveling in the knowledge that the mere sight of him set her senses on fire.

Her nipples were poking through the fabric of the bikini top and he had to keep himself from pouncing on her when the smallest of moans escaped her parted lips. He kissed her instead and they both shivered in anticipation.

"I need this so bad…" she murmured and he nodded impatiently, kissing her again.

"Let's do this, Luce," he breathed, ripping the bikini bottom off her body with one pull. "Don't hold back on me."

She shrieked in surprise and drowned in his ferocious kiss a moment later. Her black bikini top joined her white top on the ground and Lucy broke the kiss, licking her lips with a mischievous grin.

Natsu watched her lower herself on her knees with a raised eyebrow. "I think I misjudged you."

Lucy looked up at him silently and reached for the button of his pants, opened them and slowly slid down the zipper. "You told me to not hold back, remember?"

Natsu chuckled and continued to watch her, taking a breath when his erection sprang free from his pants. He stepped out of them and took hold of the base, his head falling back at the jolt of pleasure coursing down his spine. And then she licked the tip and he bit back a low groan. "Oh fuck yeah…"

Lucy hummed softly to herself and licked up the pearly drop of pre-cum that welled up from the tip leisurely. She looked at him a last time and then slid his cock inside of her mouth, taking it as deep as she could, suckling gently on it when she moved it back out. Judging by the long moan she received, she was doing something extremely well and she grinned and licked the palm of her right hand to wet it and take Natsu into it. She moved her attention to his scrotum with gentle nips and kisses, all the while working his length in the palm of her hand.

"Oh whoa…" Natsu breathed, threading both his hands through her hair to guide her back to his raging erection so she could apply that delicious mouth on it again. He searched for her eyes when she took him in again, wanting her consent for what he wanted to do next. Fuck, just that look she gave him then instantly made him harder and she moaned as well in response. He slowly rocked his hips and she immediately stilled, placing her hands against his thigh, giving him the ok. "I'll go slow, alright?" he murmured, closing his eyes at the incredible sensation and also because he feared he'd come prematurely if he kept staring at Lucy, who was watching him. Her hands on his thigh tightened in acknowledgement and he thrust forward, loving the way her mouth, tongue and lips adjusted themselves to each of his movements, fitting him like a moist, warm glove.

He would never, _ever_, look at her putting on lip gloss the same way ever again. Hell, he was sure that just looking at her lips from now on would be enough to get him rock hard.

Lucy pushed back against the suggestive pressure of Natsu's hand on the back of her head and panted, wiping her lips off with the back of her hand. "Were you planning on having all of the fun?"

"And where would be the fun in that?" Natsu replied, helping her back on her feet.

"So," she whispered, leaning back against the tree again, looking at him seductively, "How do you want me?"

Natsu chuckled and thought about it for a second, watching as she took off her skirt and swayed her hips to let it fall down her legs.

Holy crap.

She was the most gorgeous woman he'd ever laid his eyes on.

With and without clothes.

"Don't get distracted on me now, Natsu…"

"Can you blame me?" he whispered, coming closer and still mesmerized by her nakedness. He placed his hands on her hips and bit his lower lip as he admired her body some more.

"How do you want me, Natsu?" Lucy purred, calling for his attention with a finger under his chin.

He coaxed her to turn around and kissed her in her neck. "Like this, Luce…" Both his hands took hold of an ass cheek and squeezed. He watched her squirm and smirk over her shoulder at him.

Natsu pulled her to him by a hip and put himself in position, stroking his member. He pushed in slowly and they both moaned. He pushed in further and the intensity threatened to make him lose his mind, it just felt so good.

Lucy threw her head back once he'd filled her up to the hilt and cried out when he pulled out slowly, hitting every nerve as it went. "Oh god…!"

One of his arms slid up her body and his hand grabbed a breast while the other kept her pinned to him with a hand on her soft underbelly.

Using one hand to steady herself against the tree and the other to pleasure herself while he fucked her, Lucy attempted to make him move faster, needing for it to be hard and effective. She knew he was holding back so not to hurt and frighten her, but she needed for him to know that she wasn't quite as sheltered as he thought her to be.

"Harder, Natsu…" she moaned, "Come on…"

Bending over and kissing the middle of her back gently, he whispered: "Are you sure?"

"I won't break, Natsu," she assured him, pushing back.

"Alright."

She literally saw stars when he thrust in next.

It was like every cell in her body was tingling and her limbs were going limp, leaving her powerless against the jolts of pleasure that came with each of his hard and precise thrusts. She felt so warm and for a moment there she could've sworn to have seen small wisps of smoke coming from underneath her hand against the tree.

He couldn't stop. Didn't want to stop, even when her moans and cries got louder and her voice shrill. It was like she sucked him in each time he pulled out and she fit so perfectly around him it was enthralling and simply amazing. The fact that she could keep up with him only strengthened the bond he felt with her and he was eager to find out more about what this could mean.

Why in hell did they wait this long to do this?

He'd never be able to get enough of this, of _her_ and somehow he didn't think he'd ever want to.

Even if they ended up setting the entire forest on fire.

* * *

**_Catch y'all on the next one!_**

**_-BDP-_**


	12. Radiance

**Here's a short fluffy one for you all. It was inspired by a Nalu pic from the talented Alina-chan which you can find here**: http : // alina-chan . deviantart .com/art/FT-Off-Scene-Make-Out-Session-136294323 (delete the spaces)

**I just wanted to write something pure and innocent this time and it came out like this! I hope you enjoy.**

_**

* * *

Radiance**_

* * *

They broke up camp in the morning and continued on their way to Magnolia as soon as they were done. It was a warm morning and the magnificent view of the ocean from the top of the vegetated cliff they were walking on was simply breathtaking. The smell and the sound of the nearby waterfalls only added to the beauty of the entire scenery and it only made her wish that they could have a moment or two to take it all in.

This was exactly what she'd wanted when she decided to join a guild, growing up in a mansion completely sheltered and reading books about the beauty of places like these could never procure her the feeling of freedom and wonderment she felt right now.

Little red fish were swimming around her ankles as she let her feet soak in the shallow, clear water of the creek they'd decided to have their lunch by that noon. She giggled at the tickling sensation and looked up at Erza and Grey who were busying themselves with the food and laughing with each other on the opposite bank. Natsu and Happy were nowhere to be seen, probably off scouting the road ahead.

Lucy smiled to herself and closed her eyes as she leaned back on her hands in the grass, letting the sun hit her face.

She didn't know what it was exactly that was happening between her and Natsu, but she liked the way her stomach made small flips whenever she thought about him. He was not romantic, oblivious at best and too much of a brawler for her personal taste, so what was it exactly that drew her to him she wondered?

Lucy halted her train of thought.

So, now she admitted that she was _drawn_ to him?

Lucy huffed and shook her head; like she would ever risk the integrity of their group with pubescent musings like these. And Natsu probably didn't have time to busy himself with matters like romance and love. She shook her hair out and scowled at the smell of sweat that came with that movement. She sat back up and untied the knot in her shirt and took it off; having decided to take shower under the refreshing waterfall a few feet ahead.

"Yo!"

They all saw Natsu and Happy come out of the surrounding woods.

" We've found a way down the cliff that's headed north!" he said, a little out of breath, "Happy and I found a town a few miles ahead. We could take a carriage to Magnolia from there."

"That's great, good job you guys," Erza said with a nod, throwing some salt into the boiling pot of vegetables and meat.

"Guess we'll be home soon then, huh?" Grey commented, lying in the grass behind Erza, staring at the sky with his arms folded under his head. "Too bad, I was actually enjoying this road trip of ours."

Erza looked back at him, "We could always restock a bit in town and just continue on foot? What do you say, Natsu?"

Happy looked down at his friend from his position on top of the Dragon Slayer's head. "Natsu?"

But Natsu wasn't listening, hadn't been listening for a few moments now, his eyes focused on the beautiful vision a few feet away.

The cool water cascaded down her body in large rivulets, her hips tilted backwards and her chest pushed forward as she pulled her hair back with her hands. The sunlight that filtered through the dense roof of leaves hit parts of her milky white skin and he wondered if he'd ever be able to run his fingers up those soft curves one day. He didn't want to fool himself into thinking that she'd ever be interested in someone like him, not now that he knew that she'd been accustomed to so much better in her past life. It made him laugh when he would sometimes look himself over in a mirror or any reflective surface, just in case he'd run into her at the guild. It was because of her that he'd cut his hair and he'd been thrilled to know she liked it better this short. He'd realized that he wanted for her to notice him for who he was and not just because of his reputation or the so called legendary magic he used. Deep inside he knew she didn't care about his exploits and that she liked him just fine, but at some point during the year and a half that he'd known her that knowledge had become insufficient. Natsu found himself in a strange situation, one he'd never been in before. He'd never had to worry about finding willing girls and women before and he'd never had to put effort in wooing techniques because the last girl he really liked practically took it on herself to make sure he wouldn't think looking any other way than hers.

But now he almost desperately wanted for Lucy to notice him and he didn't know any other way to show her than to make sure he was around her almost all of the time, even when she didn't want him to be. He just didn't know how to approach her and tell her, so he figured that that way just had to do for now. Being in her presence appeased him enough.

That is, until she did stuff like stripping down to a bikini without apparent shame.

Oh _man_.

His throat suddenly went completely dry and he gulped.

Grey and Erza exchanged knowing glances.

"Natsu," the blue cat on his head exclaimed, patting his hair for attention, "Erza asked you something."

"What, Happy…?" he asked in a faraway voice, still staring at Lucy.

"Natsu, are you feeling alright?"

Natsu sighed and closed his eyes and suddenly didn't feel like being around his friends for a while. "I'm fine, Happy," he replied with a small smile. "I need some time to think, be back in a few."

Happy jumped off his head with a worried expression. "Natsu?"

Grey frowned, "What about Lunch? We need to get moving soon."

Natsu waved him away and walked into the woods again. "Yeah, later."

Lucy stepped out from underneath the waterfall and reached for her clothes, watching Natsu going back into the woods on his own, eyes downcast and smiling sadly to himself.

* * *

That evening, Lucy sat herself next to Natsu, holding a plate of bread and slices of roasted woodboar out for him. The bonfire in front of them was crisping and Grey was idly playing a tune on his guitar while Erza sharpened her swords and daggers with a sharpening stone. Happy lay sleeping on a nearby patch of grass.

Natsu sat up from his resting position against a rock and took the plate over from her with a thankful smile.

Lucy smiled. "You've been looking a bit out of it for most of the day. Is something wrong?"

Natsu took a breath and cocked his head to side, letting his eyes go over her small frame before closing his eyes again. "I wasn't feeling so well, but I'm fine now." He put the plate with food next to him on the ground. "Thanks for this, Lucy."

She tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear and looked at the fire for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?"

Lucy scooted closer to him and leaned against the rock and looked up at the dark blue sky through the clearing between the trees that surrounded them. "About how I want this road trip to never end… It's so beautiful and peaceful here. I had never seen nature like this before."

Natsu nodded and leaned back against the rock too, looking up. "Yeah…"

She looked down again when her little finger touched his in the grass between their bodies. Her heart began to race for an unknown reason and she blushed, trying to rationalize why her body was reacting the way it did to something as mundane as this. She wanted to run her fingertips over the back of his hand for no reason and those knots in her stomach had suddenly returned. She wanted for her mind to snap out of it and therefore tore her eyes away from their hands and looked up, only to find him looking at her attentively.

The fire in front of them was casting dancing shadows against his face and his dark eyes shone with a light akin to the one bathing them in warmth.

And yet she shivered when it finally all dawned on her.

_He wanted it too._

She closed the gap between their lips in an instant and closed her eyes, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Lu…cy…?" he mumbled in between kisses. Not that he wasn't happy that this was finally happening, but—

"I finally get it, Natsu," she breathed against his lips. "And it's alright," she said, nodding.

He dared a smile, "It's alright?" he whispered back softly, hesitantly. "You want to try… with me…?"

"There's never been anyone else," she answered and then kissed him again.

Natsu then took her in his arms, holding her head in his hand as they stared at each other lovingly for a long time. They spent the rest of the evening talking and never realized that both Grey and Erza had stopped in their activities and had moved away to give them some privacy.

She was the first thing he saw the next morning and never had a day started as beautifully as when she snuggled closer to him and buried her face against his shoulder in her sleep, sighing his name.

In that moment he too hoped for this road trip to never end.

* * *

_**Thanks for the luv you guys!**_

_**Catch y'all on the next one!**_

**_-BDP-_**


	13. July 1st

_It's been a while, welcome back! I never said I'd stop writing these, so until further notice, these one shots are going to keep coming! Thank you all for your ongoing support!_

_This one is a mix of fluff and smut, an idea that has been on my mind for a long long time, I just never found the right setting to put it in, hope it came out alright. July 1st is more an allusion to the beginning of summer-break- (Natsu means 'summer' in Japanese)**  
**_

_**

* * *

July 1st

* * *

**_That morning, when the screeching of seagulls in the distance awoke her, she chose to not open her eyes, not just yet, just in case this bliss she felt was just a remnant from a fleeting dream.

A gentle summer breeze played against her face and she recoiled from it, her mind suddenly registering that her head was pillowed against something warm and firm. She smirked softly to herself and opened her eyes. His right hand was the first thing she saw, resting on a pillow, fingers slightly curled. His other arm was holding her in a loose embrace and his body spooned hers protectively.

She reached up with her left hand and slid her fingers in between his lying next to her head.

"My arm feels numb."

She smirked and looked up at him, moving her body up his to let their lips meet in a sweet kiss. "Goodmorning too."

He grinned and kissed her back. "It's my birthday today…"

Lucy moved herself on top of him to straddle him, pulling up her light blue lace nightgown over her head and throwing it beside the bed. "It sure is…" she whispered, shaking her hair out and running her hands up his arms and hands reaching up her body.

He watched her silently, mesmerized by this beautiful woman. When she bent over and kissed him lovingly on his lips again, he understood that, whatever happened, she'd be his. That whatever was to come she'd follow him, never questioning, simply loving and cherishing him.

He couldn't wait for her to tell him what he already knew was causing her to feel sick in the morning sometimes.

He was excited to find out what their shared future held.

There was nothing else he really wanted or needed, just having her here, with him, was more than enough.

Her lips pressed a soft kiss against his thumb as it slid over her lips sensually, taking the digit into her mouth wantonly when his other hand cupper her right breast and fondled it gently.

"I love you so much…"

She wanted for what they had to last their whole lives, for it to never end. She considered herself his in both her heart and her soul and there was nothing she really wanted or needed, being his was more than enough.

Especially now that they would maybe be having some significant changes in their lives. She hadn't told him yet, but she had taken a test just to make sure and it had been positive. All she was waiting for now was for Polyushika to confirm what the test had already told her.

She was excited and nervous for all the right reasons, but looking at him always managed to erase her doubts and worries away. He worshipped the ground she walked on and he'd proven time and time again that there was nothing he wouldn't do, face or endure just for her.

She cherished and admired the man he was, feeling blessed to have him with her to enrich her life.

"Hey," he whispered up to her, voice soft. "How about spending the day in bed? We don't need to go anywhere and I've made sure that they guys at the guild aren't planning a surprise party…"

She smiled, "Are you sure?" she whispered, holding one of his hands against her face.

"Yeah…" he said, sitting up and nuzzling her throat affectionately. "I want to spend the entire day entangled with you… in this bed…"

A shiver went down her spine and she gasped soundlessly, letting her head fall back. "Natsu…"

"What do you say, Luce? Just you and me; all day long, making love until we can't think straight…"

She didn't need for him to give her a visual picture; she could never resist him when he got this intense about their lovemaking. Not that it was mediocre any other day, but he didn't need to work her up to it this time; she just wanted what he was offering without needing to give up something else in exchange.

Just the way he'd whisper her name in her ear over and over was enough to have her neither regions aching with anticipation. She could already feel the first drops of sweat rolling in between her breasts and down towards her belly button, telling her that soon, the heat of their lovemaking would incinerate any coherent thought she'd come up with, turning her into a moaning and gasping mess that he'd be driving into again and again without pause, changing positions over and over.

"I need you, Natsu…" was all she said, giving her consent. Her back hit the mattress a heart beat later and he was inside of her, face buried into her throat, breathing her name against her moist skin.

"I need you so much, Luce…"

She was watching how his fingers slid into the spaces between hers against the wall and the closed around her hand, their joined fingers intertwining before he pushed inside again, taking her breath away with a kiss as she pushed back against him, mewling his name.

He let his free hand slide over her lower belly from time to time, wanting for her to know that he knew and that he couldn't be happier than he was right now.

"Thank you, Luce," he whispered afterwards, head resting against her stomach, hand caressing her lower belly. "This is definitely the best present ever…"

She was looking down at him from her half lying position against the pillows, a small endeared smile playing on her features as the sun set in the distance. "How long did you know?"

He looked up at her and grinned goofily. "I noticed a change in the way you smelled a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure until you began experiencing the first symptoms of motion sickness…"

"Morning sickness," she corrected him, chuckling and watching amusedly how he was kissing her still flat belly. "You could've enlightened me, you know?"

"It's your body; it's your choice if you want people to know or not…" he whispered against her skin. "But my nose never lies…"

Lucy thought about it for a moment and then ran her fingers through his hair, smiling softly. "What color hair do you think he or she will have?"

"It's a he. Most definitely a he," he said decidedly, looking at her belly. "And there's no doubt that he'll have the same color hair as me, duh."

She laughed at that. "And what if it's a girl?"

It was clear that he hadn't given that possibility much thought because Natsu fell silent and kept staring at her stomach like it had done him wrong. "Well, what color would you like it to have if it's a girl?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as she's healthy," she whispered, smiling when he saw her smile back at her. "But of course, if she had her father's hair I guess it'd be okay too."

Natsu moved back up to lie next to her and took her body in his arms, nuzzling the tip of their noses together. "It's going to be awesome, Luce."

She looked at him and nodded. "It sure will," she whispered back softly, cuddling close to him with a content smile.

"I'm thinking about 'Igneel' if it's a boy."

Lucy opened her eyes again. "Then I definitely hope it's a girl."

"The bets are open then!"

She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Natsu…"

"What?"

Lucy scooted away from him a bit to look at him better. "This child is going to be what it wants to be and we'll love it no matter what it is."

Natsu nodded, "Yeah, but if it's a boy we'll name him Igneel, right?"

"Third name," she offered.

"Second!" he said.

She grinned. It'd been too easy. Natsu had no idea how to negotiate. "Deal!"

Natsu pulled her close again, resting his chin on top of her head. "Hey, Luce."

"Yeah?" she whispered back, closing her eyes.

"I meant it when I said this is the best present ever. Thank you for giving me this chance."

Lucy nodded and smiled happily, letting tears silently roll down her cheeks.

"Happy birthday, Natsu."

* * *

**_Catch ya'll on the next one!_**

**_-BDP-  
_**


	14. Resplendence

_**Resplendence

* * *

**_

It never rained in Magnolia.

And when it rained, it poured.

Waiters and busboys were trying to clear the tables in a hurry, the florists and other help taking away the centre pieces and the expensive looking chairs standing around the tables in the South Gate Park.

What was supposed to be the most beautiful day of her life had turned into one of the worst ones in more ways than one.

Her white chiffon dress was splayed all around her as she cried silent tears to the ceiling, not believing that this actually happened to her. They were in her dressing room now, all of them feeling their hearts break at what they saw happening minutes before the ceremony was to start.

"We were supposed to… h-how could they do this?" she whimpered, looking up at her friends hopelessly. "My wedding day… this was supposed to be my wedding day…!"

Lucy kneeled next to her and took her in her arms. "Erza… I'm sure they've made a mistake. They promised they'd give him enough time to celebrate—"

"Erza, do you want for us to go get him back?" Gray asked, standing up from his chair.

"Just say the word, Erza," Natsu said in turn, loosening his mandarin collar and his cufflinks.

"No," she whispered, closing her eyes and letting go of Lucy. "Maybe… maybe this is a sign that we weren't supposed to do this in the first place."

"Erza-san!" Juvia gasped, throwing her hands in front of her mouth.

Lucy took her hands in her hers. "Erza, no…"

"Look at everything we've had to endure to get to this day! And it still didn't work! All of our efforts… it still…" she pulled her hands out of Lucy's and shook her head, pulling off her veil. "The wedding is off!" she whimpered, standing back up on her feet and throwing the hair piece away. She disappeared into the bathroom a moment later.

"You guys… we need to do something…" Lucy said, standing back up in turn. "There must be a way for us to get Jellal back from the Magic Council. We don't even know why they came back to arrest him in the first place when they agreed to give him one day and one night of freedom for his wedding."

"I suggest we go over there right now and try to fix this," Juvia said, gathering her soft pink bridesmaid's dress in her arm and standing from her seat. "Or at least get a reason for why they took Jellal-san away again."

Natsu took Lucy in his arms when she moved in, needing comfort.

"Natsu, do you think the master can help us?" Happy asked softly, flying up from his seat on the windowsill.

"He's already started calling his contacts, but who knows how long it can take before he gets an answer?" Gray said, shaking his head. "We need to go now."

"Yeah," Natsu agreed. "Happy, do you mind staying here with Erza?"

Happy shook his head. "Aye sir! I'll keep her company."

"Thank you, Happy," Lucy said, gathering her dress in turn and following Juvia and Grey out of the door.

"Good luck!" the blue cat called after them, floating down onto the couch near the bathroom, looking up sadly at the locked door.

* * *

"A technicality?"

"Yeah," Jellal whispered back from behind the magically enforced bars holding him captive. "They said that releasing me was too big of a risk for the whole magical community and they revoked my right to celebrate my wedding."

"They can't do this!" Natsu exclaimed. "Erza is heartbroken! She deserved this day with you!"

Jellal turned away from the bars and sat down on his bed, expression weary and sad. "I'd give anything to be with her right now."

"Jellal," Lucy whispered in turn, reaching for him through the bars and smiling when he took her hand in his. "I'm sure that Erza wants nothing but to be with you too right now, but she feels like this is one disappointment too many…"

"I know, but tell her that I'll never doubt about what it is we have… there'll never be anyone else for me. Tell her that, please."

Juvia closed her eyes and buried her face in Gray's neck.

"So there's nothing we can do?" Gray whispered.

"I'm afraid not," Jellal whispered. "I've been sentenced to this cell for a long, long time and apparently someone made a mistake when they gave me this one day."

There was a pained silence until Natsu took a step forward.

"Listen up," he said calmly. "If we can't bring Jellal to the wedding, then we'll just bring the wedding to him. I'm sure this prison has a chapel, right?"

"Yeah!" Lucy exclaimed, "We can still get some flowers and a priest here!"

"Yeah, we can!" Juvia said in turn. "We can still save this wedding!"

"Before you guys get ahead of yourselves you need to consider the fact that we'll first have to convince Erza to come," Gray said.

"She will," Natsu said, turning around to leave.

Lucy smiled reassuringly at Jellal. "You just make sure you stay put this time!" she said taking hold of the hand Natsu was holding out for her. "We'll be back!"

Jellal sat back quietly, smiling thankfully at the group. He closed his eyes and prayed he'd be able to see Erza today and that he'd be able to call her his wife when all of this was going to be over.

* * *

Lucy lit the last candle on the holder and blew out the match, turning around to look at the small chapel they were in. It was going to be an intimate service, not the elaborate one they were supposed to have, but it would have to do. Jellal had told them that the most important people were already present anyway.

Flowers and vines hung from the walls, aided by magic and small glittering lights floated against the ceiling, bathing the small room in an ethereal glow.

Jellal was standing by the decorated altar, breathing in deeply as he waited, looking at the painting of the Goddess praying to the Light.

"Did you call her?" Gray asked Juvia as they watched Lucy walk over to Jellal to talk.

"I sent her a message over the waters and I intercepted her tears of relief and happiness when I told her," Juvia whispered back, leaning into him with a smile. "She's on her way."

"Alright," he whispered back, kissing her forehead.

They all turned to the entrance when Natsu arrived, having gone to search for the priest.

"Natsu! Did you find him?" Lucy asked excitedly, walking up to him.

He grinned, but shook his head. "Nope, but I think I've found someone better!"

They all smiled when they saw who it was Natsu'd brought along.

* * *

Her footsteps echoed through the hall leading to the small chapel. Happy was flying next to her calmly, smiling reassuringly at her.

There was light coming from within the opened doors of the place and she could hear some soft music playing. Her heart was beating hard in her chest and her throat felt dry. This was going to be it; the moment she'd been waiting for the moment she knew she loved Jellal. Nothing was going to stand in her way this time; she wouldn't let it. This was going to be theirs, no matter what.

They'd endured enough and she knew they deserved this.

They deserved each other.

She appeared in the doorway, feeling totally out of breath and nervous. Her eyes found her closest friends waiting for her at the end of the aisle, as well as he, clad for the occasion in a handsome, silver official mage attire, with long robes and embroidered shirt.

He smiled gently at her and she felt like running up to him to bury herself in his strong embrace, wanting to kiss him until she couldn't breathe.

The moment her feet stepped onto the red carpeted aisle, the lights overhead twinkled brightly and it began to rain soft resplendent petals of magic. She didn't notice it before because she'd been focused on Jellal, but now she saw who it was that stood before the altar waiting for her also and it filled her with so many emotions that she felt like tearing up right then and there, but she held herself in, feeling too grateful to be taken over by tears.

"I hope you're not too disappointed, but as one of the Ten Sacred Mages I have the right to carry out the act of handfasting to unite two people who love each other like you do," Master Makarov said with a grin.

Erza's lower lip trembled and she shook her head, smiling up at Jellal when he took both her hands in his. "I couldn't have asked for someone better to unite us, Master," she whispered, looking her husband to be in the eyes.

"Alright then, let's do this then shall we?"

The atmosphere was filled with emotion as the ceremony proceeded. There was passion, tenderness and understanding in the exchange of vows that the couple made to each other. Both bridesmaids and groomsmen felt themselves tearing up at multiple occasions, sending their love and best wishes to them without saying a word.

"_Now, I ask you to look into one another's eyes and hearts. Jellal, please place the ring on Erza's finger."_

Jellal turned around and took the diamond incrusted platinum ring Natsu was holding readily in his palm behind him and slid it onto Erza's awaiting finger.

"_Do you promise to show Erza your honor and fidelity, to share her laughter and joy, to support and stand by her in times of difficulty, to dream and hope together with her, and to spend each day loving her more than ever before?"_

Jellal looked Erza in the eyes and whispered a soft, but powerful; "Yes!"

At this point Erza let one tear escape and sniffled behind her veil, smiling happily when Jellal mouthed _I love you_.

"_Erza, please give Jellal the ring."_

She turned towards Lucy and Juvia who both had tears joy in their eyes and took the ring from Lucy who held it between her right hand fingers.

"_Do you, Erza, promise to show Jellal your honor and fidelity, to share his hopes and dreams, to laugh with him and share endless days of joy, to stand side by side with him in times of trouble, and to spend each day loving him more than the day before?"_

Erza slid the solid platinum ring over his awaiting finger and nodded, putting her heart and soul in the three words she uttered next. "Yes, I do."

Makarov nodded solemnly and lifted a hand._ "The vows of love have already been spoken, I ask you now to cross your hands over each other, and to take one another's hands."_

The couple did as told and held hands, watching how Makarov touched their hands with a finger and how a ribbon of white light fastened itself over their joined hands and tied itself into a knot.

"_Jellal, Erza, this ribbon of light symbolizes so much. It's your life, your love, and the eternal connection that the two of you have found with one another. The ties of this handfasting are not formed by this ribbon, or even by the knots connecting its ends. They are formed instead by your vows, your pledge, your souls, and your two hearts, now bound together as one._

_Only one bond is left now. Jellal, would you please kiss Erza?"_

Jellal grined and then bit his lip when Erza smiled back, lifting the veil that covered her features from him and falling silent at how beautiful she was. "You take my breath away," he whispered.

"I love you," she answered, closing her eyes and letting twin tears fall down her cheeks as he took her face in his hands and lowered his lips on hers in a sweet kiss.

Everyone clapped in their hands and cheered.

"_It is now my pleasure to pronounce you Mr and Mrs Fernandes!"_

"We made it!" Erza chuckled, laughing along with all of them as congratulations and more petals of white light fell down on them.

Lucy took her in her arms and hugged her tightly, laughing blissfully. "I'm so happy for you, Erza!"

"We couldn't have done it without any of you!" she replied, letting go of her and looking at her friends. "Thank you all so much, it's so wonderful!"

"You're welcome," Gray answered, shaking hands with Jellal a last time. "We're happy to see you happy together."

Jellal and Erza looked at each other and kissed again before looking each other in the eyes, getting ready to lose themselves in their own little world.

"So what do you think?" Natsu whispered half an hour later into Lucy's ear as they watched from the last bench in the chapel how Erza and Jellal swayed softly to the tune of the magical sounds played by Lyra.

She chuckled and looked at him, "You'll have to come up with a better way of asking me, Natsu. Even if you know what my answer is going to be."

He grinned back and moved in to kiss her. "Try and act surprised when that day comes, then."

Lucy bit her lip and kissed him back, giggling into the kiss, feeling like she was the luckiest woman in the world.

She decided for herself as she watched Erza kiss her husband again, that if they could love each other that much when more years of imprisonment awaited Jellal, then she and Natsu could definitely make it work too.

Sometimes, just love was enough.

And nothing else mattered.

* * *

_**Catch y'all on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	15. Illumination

**_Illumination_**

* * *

"Is this better?"

"Lucy..."

"Ok, ok... hold on…"

Droplets fell back into the bowl of cool water as she squeezed them out of the towel she used to rub the blue cat clean with. His small body was shivering in her hold, keeping him pinned against her with her arm while she passed the moist towel over his tattooed back.

"Has this happened before, Happy?"

The cat looked up at her tearfully. "I'm scared, Lucy…"

She gave him a soft encouraging smile. "I'll take good care of you, don't worry. It's just the flu."

"Do cats get the flu?" Happy asked, closing his eyes and holding onto her tighter.

"Sadly they do…" she whispered.

Happy moaned pitifully. "Do they die from it?"

Lucy grinned in an endeared manner and placed the towel next to the bowl of water on the small table. "Of course not. I'm sure Natsu is going to be back soon with a cure from Polyushika."

The cat sighed and nodded, his state of sickness making him more compliant than usual, letting Lucy cradle him in her arms as she sat back on her couch. She could clearly feel the feline burning up and reached for the glass of water with a straw that stood readily on another table next to her. Lucy made him drink the cool water and smiled again when his eyes met hers questioningly.

"Did Natsu tell you he liked you on first sight, Lucy?"

Lucy quieted at that and stared at the cat a moment. "Natsu told you that?"

Happy shook his head against her stomach as he cuddled closer, a shiver cursing through his small body. "He didn't," he croaked, closing his eyes. "I knew from the moment we met you, Lucy."

"He did?" she asked with a small smile.

"Natsu didn't know yet, but I saw it. He changed from the moment he first laid eyes on you."

"Happy…"

"I liked you immediately too, Lucy, you know?" he continued. "So don't go break his heart because that would ruin him. Ruin the both of us…"

"Where is all of this coming from all of a sudden?" Lucy asked softly, brows furrowed together in wonder.

"You've been going on missions with Loki a lot these past few weeks… and it seems like you have less and less time to spend with us. Or with just me."

"Happy…" Lucy whispered, startled. "Natsu and I… ever since Lisanna came back… it's just a bit complicated… I don't really know where we stand, I mean I thought I did, it was going into a certain direction, but now it's like… I don't know."

"You like him, right?" Happy whimpered, looking up at her. "You like Natsu right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Lisanna was gone for two years… and even before her disappearance Natsu's never acted the same way around her like the way he acts when he's with you. It could be because he was too immature to understand what Lisanna felt for him back then but I do know that he gets it now; and I can tell he still chooses you."

Lucy blushed hard and closed her eyes, releasing a breath of relief she hadn't known she'd been holding. "You really think so?"

Happy grinned up at her. "I know so. Why else do you think he keeps coming to your place all the time? Or why do you think he choose you to take care of me while he went to get my medicine?"

"He…?"

Happy nodded. "Yes!"

"I…"

At that moment Natsu jumped inside of her apartment through the window, landing in her living room soundlessly and looking at her as he rose to his full length with a small, wrapped package in his right hand. Happy whispered his name in relief and smiled bravely up at him as he approached them and kneeled next to the couch.

"How is he?" he asked as he unpacked the pot of dark yellow powder.

Lucy abruptly focused on the cat in her arms again, realizing that she'd been staring at the Dragon Slayer from the moment he appeared. "He's running a fever now, you came back just in time."

"Hey buddy…" Natsu softly whispered, running his hand over the feline's forehead and focusing the heat from the fever into his own body, smiling when Happy opened his eyes again, visibly feeling a bit better.

"You took away his fever…" Lucy whispered in slight awe, caressing the cat's ears affectionately.

"It'll return, it's just a temporary measure. Here," he whispered, opening the small pot of powder. "Polyushika mixed some herbs and dried mushrooms in there; we need to put three table spoons of it in a cup of boiling water."

"It smells horrible!" Happy whined.

"It'll make you feel better, Happy," Lucy consoled as Natsu ran to her kitchen to retrieve some water in a cup that he boiled in his hands on his way back. She then watched him mix the three tablespoons of the medicine in the water before offering it to her so she could make Happy drink it.

"Bleehh!" Happy complained after he'd finished drinking the cure.

"It's alright," Lucy whispered, glancing at Natsu as he sat himself next to her on the couch.

"Try and sleep now, Happy," Natsu said, petting his forehead and checking on his temperature as he did. "The fever is staying away for now. Find some rest."

"You guys aren't going anywhere, right?" the cat asked sleepily, looking up at the both of them wearily and sighing.

"We'll be right here when you wake up," Natsu whispered and Lucy looked over her shoulder to meet his eyes, finding them on her as he finished his sentence. "We're not going anywhere," he said, eyes still locked with hers intensively.

"Yeah…" Lucy agreed, smiling at Natsu softly. "You're safe and there's nothing to worry about…" she said more to him than to the cat.

Happy didn't mind that they'd forgotten about him for a small moment, instead he smiled at them contently and turned his head back towards Lucy's stomach and snuggled closer, letting his eyes fall shut slowly and voluntarily missing the sweet and tender kiss that followed just a second afterwards.

* * *

_**Catch ya'll on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-  
**_


	16. Hot her skin

**_Hot ~ her skin~_**

* * *

_God._

She can barely contain it. It's so strong I can almost grasp it in my naked hand.

Guess there's no holding back since we're already passed the point of no return.

_Damn._

I love that, just that. Those moans followed by her hesitant hiccupping gasps.

_Fuck._

I wonder if she knows how intoxicatingly good she smells to me right now. I feel drunk and I'm crawling towards her in a daze, all I can think about is her heat, her wetness and the way her flushed skin tastes against my tongue.

No, take that top off. That's right. What are you hiding your breasts for? No teasing. Fuck… not that. None of that. Please.

I want to feel her against me so badly I can barely control myself anymore.

Her legs fall open slowly as I settle between them and against her, her hands running up my naked flanks as she arches on the floor and moans wantonly, gyrating her hips against mine.

_Hot._

Her small hands slide over the curve of my naked ass as her feet push my pants down, and I'm groaning wordlessly into the side of her neck as she moans my name.

"_Don't hold back…"_

I won't. I can't.

My eyes go over her heaving chest and her flat abdomen to her still dressed hips and the dark red panties that peek from beneath the hem of her hiked up skirt.

"_Luce…"_

She reaches out for me and I lay myself on her again, crushing my lips with hers, wanting to take her taste with me, barely giving her the time to catch her breath, urged on by each of her breathless gasps and moans.

"_Take'em off… Need to feel you. Just skin…"_

I'm out of my pants and back on top of her in 5 seconds flat, her sweat mingling with mine as I push her panties to the side just enough to get inside.

_All in._

I grab her wrists in both hands and hold them pinned against the polished wooden floor, watching her eyes fall close and her mouth open as I push in a bit harder this time, using my knees on the floor.

"_Fuck…!"_

She sucks me in each time I pull out and I want more, need more. Need to make her feel how good this is for me.

And then she shivers and arches up against me, wordlessly telling me that I hit it.

Shit this feels so fuckin' good. The way her skin slides against mine, how her hard nipples graze against me is enough to drive me crazy. She's biting her lower lip and gritting her teeth and the same time, moaning and groaning non-stop.

_Deeper._

Please fuck yes… that's it. Move with me, like that. Damn, Luce. Your body is one of the wonders of this world, I'm certain now.

I'm lapping her left bud hungrily and she's running her hands through my hair leisurely now, breathing soft praises, her legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me back to her each time I pull out, her hips meeting mine in a growing rhythm.

I can hear you. Don't worry… we're almost there.

"_Natsu…!"_

My tongue is between her lips again and I'm framing her head with my arms, changing the angle of entry a bit, feeling the full body shiver that runs through her and pushing in a bit deeper.

"_Too… much…!"_

I know, but you can take more. Show me… just a bit further. I know you like it.

I'm grinding my hips now against her and she lets out one of those quivering gasps that sends shivers down my back, almost pulling me over the edge with her.

Instead I watch her closely, having found that seeing her climax turns me on just as much as the idea of fucking her silly or just fucking her silly. Heh.

She's panting up at me, eyes unfocused and skin flushed even more, hair sticking to her throat and chest.

_Do it._

She knows what comes next and I feel her eyes following me as I remove myself from her and take off her soaked panties and throw it somewhere behind me. She's already rolling onto her abdomen by then and rising up on her knees, throwing her hair to one side, pushing her ass up at me, rubbing up against me.

I slap my right hand against her ass and squeeze the flesh in between my fingers, smirking at her surprised yelp. With my other hand I grab the fabric of her jeans skirt that has now gathered around her waist and push inside of her again, closing my eyes at the mind-blowing jolt that courses down my spine.

_Here we go._

I pull her to me by her skirt with each thrust, watching, mesmerized, at the ripples the force of my pushes cause on the skin of her ass and lower back, loving the way her head whips back each time I drive into her again and again.

I'll never get enough of her moaning, screaming, breathing, gasping, whispering and whimpering my name.

Seriously.

I'm thinking about doing it again as I spill inside of her, wondering how long she'll need to recover.

I watch her roll herself over again and I lay myself in her arms, kissing the palm of her hand as she holds me close in a lover's embrace.

It isn't long before I feel her hand sliding down my chest and I smile knowingly to myself, accepting her invitation.

After all, who am I to refuse her?

I'm always up for another round anyway.

As long as it's with none other but with her.

* * *

_Up next: **Hot ~his skin~**_


	17. Hot His skin

**_Hot ~His skin~_**

* * *

How much longer is he going to make me wait?

Can't he hear my body screaming out for him?

_Just for him?_

Baby don't just stand there, come closer. I need you closer, please.

I've been waiting all day already, so I don't want to take it slow tonight. Rip my clothes off, just like that.

I know you can tell I'm ready to go. So no teasing, just take my whole nipple into your mouth and suck on it. Hard.

_Fuck._

Your full bodyweight is on me and I love it; all I feel, smell and see is you. Your hand that is closed around the nape of my neck keeps me from lifting my head and watching what it is you're doing with your tongue against my breast, leaving me with the overdose of stimuli you're procuring me.

Those boxers you're still wearing are in the way, Natsu. No matter how much I like the pressure of your throbbing manhood against me, I need—

"_Whoa…!"_

"_I'm taking the reins tonight."_

He grins as I settle more comfortably on top of him after I rolled us over the bed. His hands run through my hair and he pulls me to him gently so he can kiss me lovingly, our hips moving in a growing rhythm against each other.

_So hot._

You have no idea how wild you make me, Natsu. The way your muscles roll under your skin when I touch it turns me on so badly… They're a testimony of everything that makes you so irresistible to me.

I never notice you taking off your boxers, but it doesn't matter. It's time and I fucking need this.

_All in._

I can feel your eyes on me as I moan your name and start to move, faster and faster until I'm practically rolling my hips frantically on top of you, lost in how good this feels, your dick filling me up so perfectly I could cry. And then you pull me down against you slightly, taking both my breasts in a hand each, squeezing them as you take one nipple in your mouth and suckle it.

_I'm losing my mind._

The sounds that leave my mouth are almost animalistic and when you start to meet my thrusts, I'm sobbing your name up against the headboard, holding on to it for dear life.

You're silent beneath me while I'm groaning and crying out, watching me, observing me, waiting for the right time.

One of your hands slide in between us and start rubbing my clit, making my first orgasm of the night come crashing down on me violently.

You're watching, silently again, as I come undone loudly, whimpering loving praises, body shaking violently in the aftermath.

"_My turn, babe."_

_I know. Take me._

We're on our sides now and you're driving into me from behind, breathing hard in my ear, moaning my name, one hand on a breast while the other plays in between my parted legs.

My high pitched gasps seem to echo around us, but I can't stop, I'm nearing that edge again so dangerously fast my head is spinning.

"_You never cease to amaze me, Luce. You're so hot baby… so hot."_

I'm shivering now with each one of your deep thrusts, wanting to draw it out as long as I can, wanting for you to reach that peak with me. Wishful thinking, I know but we've done it a few times before and God did it feel good when we got there together.

You know I'm barely holding on, don't you… That low, sexy, masculine chuckle that makes my knees go weak every time I hear it is proof enough. The effect you have on my never ceases to amaze me too.

"_We have all night, remember?"_

Oh, I remember. Fine then. I'm up for a challenge.

"_Don't hold back on me, Luce."_

I'll meet you halfway each time, just like I know you will too.

As I orgasm again with his hands all over me and his name on my lips I think about how I don't ever want to stop feeling this good.

And I know I can only achieve this feeling when I'm doing this with him.

With none other than with him.

* * *

**_Catch ya'll on the next one!_**

_**-BDP-**_


	18. The meaning of us

_I posted this one for the Jellal&Erza Fairy Tail kink meme 'Conjugal Visit' over on LJ a few days ago and decided to post it here as well! Oh you can put up your nomination vote over at the Flames & Keys community on LJ for the best of Natsu and Lucy fanwork 2010! I already have 3 noms! yay! Vote for me!_

_http: / / community . livejournal . com / natsuxlucy_

_**

* * *

**_

The meaning of us

* * *

The wall is cold against her back, but it doesn't matter.

She needs to get lost in this, to forget about anything else but his ardent and impatient kisses, his bruising fingers on her thigh, his urgent whispers in her ear and breathed praises on her skin..

By the time her pale yellow dress falls around her feet she's already breathless, watching him take suckle on an erect nipple hungrily, his other hand fondling her other breast gently. It's like those fingers remember how and when to touch her, like it has never been three months since they last did this.

Like it it's never been that long ago… _again_.

Those soft lips know where her skin needs them most, sending shivers down her spine each time they slide down just _there_ and she can feel his voice vibrating against her core as he worships her, that tongue then making her soft moaning turn into a deep groaning filled with satisfied anticipation. When he takes her thigh in a hand to drape it over a shoulder, to grant him more ample access, she gasps his name when his licking and sucking grows in intensity, making her breast quiver in between her arms as she tries to guide his head betwixt her legs with both hands while still trying desperately to catch her breath.

But he isn't going to let her get to where she need to go so badly that easily.

The moment she feels herself teetering on the brink she knows he'll be stopping because he can read the reactions of her body like an open book. His smug smirk is the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes again after he's made his way back up her body again, his naked torso pressing against hers, arms resting on each side of her head against the wall.

The sheer power of his masculine presence is making her dizzy with need and as their eyes meet she finds herself lost, in the want, in the heat, her parted lips silently begging for it. She watches his eyes glide down towards her heaving chest and moans wantonly at the way he lewdly licks his lips, catching any remnant of her juices with that tongue.

It's all she can do to not growl impatiently when he moves in to feign an incoming kiss before retreating again. Her hands reach for his flanks, needing for him to be closer and all over her, tired of the distance, of the endless longing.

Her name falls off his lips and she mewls into the kiss that follows, letting him dominate it, giving into the sparks that tingled all over her body.

He keeps their lips locked in the kiss, distracting her with his loving nips and soft nibbles from what his hands were doing. Once her legs are securely locked around his waist, he pushes up against her, drowning her surprised gasp with another kiss, sliding home again after so long.

And when she arches against him and breaks the kiss, breathing his name, her hair falling half over her face as she turns it slightly to the side, he sees her tears glistening in the dim overhead light. Those aren't tears of regret, he knows. He turned her face his way again, brushing away her tears and moving in again, smiling up at her when she sniffled with a smirk.

It doesn't matter how long they have to live apart, as long as they have this, these precious, lost moments of togetherness to look forward to, it'll be enough.

Just barely enough.

Until the next time he feels her trembling towards rapture against him again, smells the scent of her soft scarlet hair and tastes her beautiful lips.

Just before he crests his own peak, he feels her hand taking his and placing it against her abdomen, holding it there, looking at him silently.

He closes his eyes and rests his face against her naked bosom, smiling blissfully against her skin, his lips whispering the only promise he knew she needed.

_Always_.

* * *

**_Catch ya'll on the next one! And if not before the end of 2010, Merry x-mas and Happy New year!_**

**_-BDP-  
_**


	19. Love

_**Two years. I've been gone from this place for over two years and I just felt the need to write this short bit. Thank you to all of you who have been following this collection of one-shots over the years and who have favored them. I'm not making any promises, but I do hope you enjoy.**_

_**Ps: It doesn't matter which OtP this one refers to, it's applicable to most of them**_.

* * *

Love.

* * *

The backpack falls into a corner of the room as he pushes the straps gently from her grip and slides his fingers in between hers, his body moving closer to hers until her back reaches the wall next to the now closed door, her soft round mouth just within kissing reach.

Her eyes lift up to his wantonly, an expectant sigh passing her lips. He claims it with growing need, conveying his desire for her and yet at the same time gently relaying the sense of urgency he knew she felt too.

Her responding smile answers his unspoken question, the hand she slides up his hair making his eyes roll into the back of his head in pleasure. It's like the first time all over again; his senses are filled with her and he's reveling in the feeling of her body so close to his, her soft curves captured in his arms, willingly belonging to him and to him only. An unconditional partner in whatever he asks of her, loving mate, confidant and most fitting other half.

He finds himself when he is with her, there is no other place in all of Earthland that gives him a sense of belonging more intense than when he lays her down on their bed and joins with her body, watching her need match his until their mutual desires crests once, sometimes twice. Her satisfaction is his reward every time, the culmination of his ardent passion for the amazing goddess that she is.

There is never a question of a doubt between them, they become as one as soon as they are together, their ambition merging to fulfill a common goal. Even when she isn't with him, his mind never strays too far from the memory of her. Even now, as the palm of his hand slide down her raised thigh on the bed, snapshots and clips of their last lovemaking filter through his mind only motivating him further. Her body is as inviting as ever, her eyes wordlessly urging him on with a familiar sense of urgency.

He lays himself on her, pressing his face into the side of her neck and breathing her in as he finally slides home.

A whisper of his name and a distinct movement of her hips are enough to make him come undone and when next he awakes, he finds himself wrapped in her tender embrace, her soft breathing now the most beautiful sound to wake up to.

A strand of her hair is curling over the curve of her neck and her pink-kissed lips part in a sigh, both elements only adding more to her flowering erotic beauty.

Sunlight is slowly creeping up the window of their room, making him smile as he thinks that right that moment, nothing shines brighter than she is, lying there looking at him with one of those loving smiles of her.

_Because love is—_

_A Goddess that is loved…_

* * *

**_I wonder which OtP you guys thought about while reading this?_**

**_Catch y'all on the next one..._**


	20. Ablaze Men Talk pt2

_**Hi again! I find myself having an unexpected large amount of time of hands and so I decided to work out some one shot ideas that have been pestering me for a while now.**_

_**Do enjoy this one and look forward to another chapter very soon!**_

* * *

_Ablaze –Men Talk part 2_

* * *

"What do you even see in her, man?"

Gray's question threw the Take Over Sibling in a disarray, not because he couldn't find a suitable answer to the question, but because he'd never had to think about it before. Elfaman stared into his lap, painfully ill at ease with the current topic of discussion.

He'd asked Natsu, Gray and Gajeel for some advice on how to make a relationship work, but so far, he'd been more embarrassed about his lack of knowledge on the delicate subject than anything else.

"Well," he started, trying desperately to find words, "she's a woman—"

"As opposed to you being a man, I presume?" Gray interjected, grabbing his drink from their table.

Natsu snickered and sat back in his seat, "Hey, no one understands why Juvia fell for the Underpants King, but you don't hear us complaining or making jokes about it, do you?" he mockingly murmured, purposefully avoiding eye contact with the ice mage and giving Elfman an encouraging grin.

"Why Lucy even likes a flamebrain like you is beyond any of us," Gray retorted smugly, eliciting an annoyed grunt from Gajeel at yet another Natsu-Gray word-slinging round.

"And yet, she does, doesn't she?" Natsu replied, making an ugly face at his frenemy.

"Just like Juvia is perfectly content with me and my underpants," Gray stated, placing his hands behind his head with a content smirk.

Natsu chuckled and threw a chicken bone from his plate Gray's way, hitting him square in between the eyes, making Gajeel and Elfman laugh in amusement.

"I suppose Levi is perfectly happy with who you are as well, isn't she Gajeel?" Elfman wondered quietly, briefly glancing at the other dragon slayer who sat across from him at the table.

Gajeel frowned a bit at his tone. "Doesn't this woman of yours feel the same like you do?"

Elfman sighed, "That's the thing. Eve is-"

"Crazy?" Natsu asked, mouth full of half-chewed on chicken.

"No, a complete freak," Gray helped, picking a chicken wing from Natsu's plate. "And not the good kind, either."

They all laughed and even Elfman couldn't hide a chuckle at that.

"You guys really have an outspoken opinion of her, don't you?" Elfman whispered, sounding a bit crest-fallen.

Gray smiled encouragingly, "Look, the only real opinion that matters when it comes to her is yours, right?" He slapped his right hand on Elfman's left shoulder when he saw him smirk back shyly and nod.

Natsu agreed. "And trust us, we've all been there. This thing you're feeling, it'll scare the crap out of you." He chuckled when he got consenting murmurs from Gray and Gajeel alike. "At first," he then added to reassure the middle Strauss sibling when he saw how his face paled.

"I mean, take the Man of Steel here," Gray said.

Gajeel growled, visibly irked. "Iron."

"Whatever," Gray said with a dismissing wave of his hand. "When he and Levi first got together, the man became a different person."

"Different?" Elfman asked, voice going up a few octaves. "Different how?"

"Whiny," Natsu said, a reminiscing expression on his features.

Gray nodded, completely agreeing. "Hn. And fidgety."

"Twitchy as fuck," Natsu added with a disapproving shake of his head. "A complete sap, too."

"The hell?" Gajeel grumbled, embarrassed. "I'm still here!"

"Point is, it'll change you," Natsu continued, "and you're right to be afraid, because if you get this right—"

"She'll enrich your life in ways you never dreamt were possible," Gajeel said, munching on a block of iron. He looked up from his meal when he noticed the silence around him. "What?" he asked the heads staring at him in disbelief.

Elfman produced an uncomfortable grin. "I prefer him singing those awful songs over him saying things like that in that surly tone of his…"

Gray and Natsu nodded vehemently in concordance.

"That was just too creepy," Gray whispered.

"But he did prove my previous statement," Natsu decided, still giving his fellow dragon slayer an apprehensive look.

Gajeel ignored them and continued, "And in turn, you'll get to see how you reflect upon her. You'll both grow towards understanding each other better, until you can practically read each other's minds. Whatever she needs becomes your need and vice versa."

All quieted down after that, all silently seeing truth in his words.

"Like a soulmate?" Elfman wondered.

"If you believe in that sort of thing, yes, " Natsu grinned. "It's like finally finding your best fit. Your best partner."

Gray smiled gently and nodded at what Natsu just said. "It's true."

"Does she love you?" Gajeel asked, pushing away his now empty plate.

"I don't know, honestly," Elfman admitted. "It feels like all we do when we're together is argue and then there are those moments when I feel—"

"Like nothing else but her matters?" Natsu asked, smiling absentmindedly with a faraway look in his eyes.

Elfman silently looked at his friend's loving expression and nodded.

"Or," Gray whispered, "that you'd do anything within your powers to keep having her in your life?"

Again, Elfman understood what he meant and nodded once with determination.

Gajeel grunted approvingly. "And that no matter how much your argue, you'd rather have her argue with you than not talk to you all."

Elfman chuckled at that, but nodded again.

"That's love, bro," Gray concluded. "It's not about who wins an argument, or who's turn it is to wash the dishes or take out the trash. It's about keeping her by your side."

"And do whatever it takes," Natsu added. "The real challenge lies in keeping your flame going, to keep that reason why you fell for each other alive."

"If she feels the same, you'll know," Gajeel said, beginning to stand. "If you're both willing to put in the necessary effort, it'll be worth it," he concluded before turning to see Levi walk up to him with a drink. She'd just returned from a job with team Shadow Gear.

"Hey," she whispered, grinning when he grabbed her by her tiny waist. She pushed herself up on her toes and met his lips in a gentle kiss.

"How was the job?" Gajeel asked softly, taking his drink from her hands.

"Easy," she answered, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. She giggled as he pressed a kiss on the crown of her head out of pride for her.

"Hi guys," Levi finally greeted the men with a blush.

"I was starting to feel like one of these walls here," Gray murmured.

"Totally ignored," Natsu agreed, waving at her.

Elfman smiled at her. "You can't blame her, she's been gone for two days."

"Alright," Gajeel said, taking Levi by her hand. "I'll talk to you losers later. Good luck, Elfman."

"Thanks, Gajeel," Elfman said after him.

Gajeel downed his drink in one go, waved his hand and turned to leave the guild hall with Levi.

"If he can make it work, there's hope for me too," Elfman said, watching Gajeel kiss Levi again as they were about to exit the building. He stood in turn, downed his own drink for some liquid courage for what he was going to attempt next. "I should be able to pull this off."

"Alright, Elfman!" Natsu cheered.

"You're the man, Elfman!" Gray called after him.

They both watched him go with grins on their faces, feeling certain he'd be able to put their advice to good use.

It therefore didn't make sense to them when they saw him coming back a while later with a slap mark on his cheek and a triumphant grin stuck on his lips.

"I'm taking her for dinner tonight!" Elfman announced bombastically.

"Then why did she-?" Gray asked, completely dumbfounded.

Elfman's grin only grew wider. "She was taken by surprise. Eve hates being taken by surprise, but she still said yes!"

Natsu rose an eyebrow questioningly, "You guys have a messed up relationship…"

Elfman laughed, "I gotta go get her some flowers or something. I want to surprise her!"

"But won't that just-?" Gray began asking.

"I'm counting on it!" Elfman exclaimed, "Thanks you guys so much for the advice!" And with that he walked, waving his hand.

"Well, we already know that Elfman can take a beating like no other…" Gray commented. "Masochist much?"

Natsu laughed and shook his head, "To each his own, I suppose."

"You said it," Gray agreed, taking his pint in a hand with a chuckle.

Natsu grinned back at his friend and they continued their worriless banter for some time until both Juvia and Lucy came to pick them up and call it a day.

In the end, life was indeed better spent with a significant other by your side.

To each their own indeed.

* * *

_**Thank you for your ongoing support of this! It's a tremendous source of motivation!**_

_**Up next – 21. Penitence.**_

_**Catch ya'll on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	21. Penitence

_**Welcome back!**_

_**Now this one is based on an intruiging new OTP i'm silently rooting for. **_

_**I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

_Penitence_

* * *

He remembered how she used to stand on the tip of her toes when they'd steal kisses in darkened alleyways, or in the dark corners of the second floor of the old guild hall.

He remembered the caress of her milky white skin, the way it would always smell like lilies and rain. He recalled the endless blue of her eyes and the flame of determination and ambition that always burned in them. He'd admired her beauty as well as her vast battle prowess.

He remembered how inconsolable she was after the disappearance of Lisanna, how everything he did or said never managed to appease her already broken heart.

Lisanna's apparent death meant the end of their blossoming relationship, their immature affections for each other not enough to surpass the tremendous amount of grief she shouldered during the years that followed.

He'd been struggling with his own issues during that time. The excommunication of his father from the guild made him question his true value towards his grandfather and the guild, which in turn prompted an identity crisis that made him seek an escape from the guild master's ever looming shadow over his existence. He'd felt the need to prove himself, to make a name for himself and he now saw and realized that through all of that she had always been the one he would usually seek up for advice because he knew she'd listen and be frank in her answers about his most tormenting thoughts.

If her words couldn't dispel his fears, her touch did. When both failed, one of their intense sparring sessions that always tested the boundaries of his magic, strength and endurance did the trick.

Immature as their feelings were, he knew that they were sincere and he recognized now what he couldn't have back then. _Before…_

She'd always been there for him, even when her own ambitions were bigger than his, back when the words that sprouted from her mouth knew no grace and lacked the charitable kindness she employs today. But he hadn't been there for her, not as that insecure, looked over teenager thirsting for recognition. He couldn't have been, because he never pushed hard enough when she closed the door on their relationship out of bereavement.

As the madness of his quest for power subsided, he found the truth lying in wait.

He still loved her. Even after everything.

He was blinded by his arrogance, too embittered by his own strong desire for success to recognize that the true 'problem' of his identity did not lie with the old man, nor that the answers did not lie within him and his cruel aspirations. The problem lay within the way he saw himself and the answer was to be found within the bonds between the guild members, within their friendships and loyalty towards each other.

_And most importantly for him, the answers to his true desires lay with her._

He looked up at the festive lights that lit up the street beyond the dark alleyway he was in, the annual Magnolia Winter Street Fair in full swing now.

It'd been six months since his banishment and he'd been all over Fiore, helping and serving others wherever he could. But his mind always wandered back to his beloved guild and all he that threw away and to her and all that could have been.

"Laxus."

He'd heard her footsteps crunch the snow beneath her feet before he heard her utter his name. He lifted his head again and laid his eyes upon her. She was dressed in a light blue, tailored winter coat with dark leggings and matching ankle boots with compensated heels. He'd always liked her regular look over her guild poster-girl uniform, especially since she regained a bit of her old edgy fashion sense after her battle against Freed. A gentle smile formed on his lips. "I wasn't sure you'd show up, or that you even got my message."

She smiled back and showed him the small piece of paper she still held in her right hand. "How have you been?" she whispered, letting her eyes go over his tattered and dirty clothing.

He averted his gaze and closed his eyes. "How is everyone else?" he asked instead, avoiding her question.

She smiled in understanding, "Everyone misses you."

He huffed at that, still having a hard time believing those words from anyone, no matter how many times he heard them.

She moved to lean next to him against the wall of the alley. "Master most of all. A parent never stops loving a lost child, you know? All they want is for them to find their way back home."

He gritted his teeth in regret at that. "I can't come back. I—" He fell silent when he felt her small hand land on his large left arm, finding her looking at him with a compassionate expression.

"I know how you feel. I truly do. It's hard to come back from such a dark place." She then touched her free hand to her chest, "In order to move forward, you start by forgiving yourself."

Laxus sighed, eyes downcast. "How, Mira?" he heard himself ask her, returning to his insecure 19 years old self. "I don't even know how to begin with that one..."

"By realizing that others need you in their lives, that this loneliness shouldn't be yours alone to shoulder," she whispered, averting her eyes in turn and blushing. "That your absence does not go unnoticed… Open your heart and let those who care about you in." She let go of him at that and turned away from him with another smile. "Because you truly are a part of us, Laxus, of Fairy Tail."

He instinctively reached out to her and retreated when his fingertips grazed the pure white of her long hair, standing in stark contrast to the rough and blistered uncleanliness of his hand. "Mira…"

"I never properly asked for your forgiveness, Laxus," she said in a small voice. "Have you heard about Lisanna's return?"

Laxus nodded. "I have."

"I've had over two years the time to mourn the death of my sister. In that time I also thought about how we ended things. I had time to think about… how we were." She turned around to look at him again, and he found that flame of determination in her eyes again, the dullness of complacency that had taken over now gone. For a moment he thought seeing the old Mirajane before him again.

"Me too, Mira," he admitted. "And I'm sorry—"

"If I could take back all those things I said to you back then, I would, Laxus," Mirajane confessed quietly.

When that first tear rolled down her face, he was by her side in an instant, reaching up to wipe it away. "Mira—"

"Can you forgive me for abandoning you, Laxus?" she whispered, hesitantly grabbing hold of his shirt.

Laxus closed his eyes and pulled her close. "There's nothing to forgive, because you didn't do anything wrong. You were mourning, I should've stuck by your side then, but I was too angry. Too selfish, too filled with arrogance, too everything to invest more into what I wrongfully considered lost to me forever. I've regretted it ever since, Mira. I still do."

Mirajane sighed in relief and tightened her grip on him. "I've missed you, every day since that day," she whimpered. "I've never stopped missing you…"

A small, sad smile crept on his lips at that. It was all he'd dreamt of hearing from her, it was all he'd hoped for.

But he couldn't.

"Mira," he began, pulling back to look at her. His new hope was for her to still be there when he could live with himself again. She did not deserve him as he was now and he couldn't have her, not the way he was now. He took a breath and looked away again, resolutely pushing her away. He'd gotten what he'd hoped for, he couldn't ask for more. Not now. "Thank you, Mira."

She only looked at him for a few moments before a small smile formed on her lips and she chuckled, the tears still falling down her eyes. "You're welcome," she simply whispered before taking a steadying breath to regain her composure. She stilled then and looked away. "When do you think you'll be back?"

"I don't know. I still have a lot to think about," Laxus admitted softly, looking at the ground between them. He was almost certain he'd heard her hope smash to bits somewhere down there.

"The master is going to announce this year's S-class exam tomorrow," Mirajane said quietly, still not looking at him. "It will take place on Tenroujima Island this year."

"I have no purpose there," Laxus replied dully, yet feeling a tinge of nostalgia coming over him as he recalled his own S-class exam all those years ago. "I have no right to go anywhere near that place. I'm no longer part of the guild."

"You're wrong, Laxus," she whispered, shaking her head. She then closed her eyes at the tears that welled up in her eyes. "You're wrong..."

He simply closed his eyes in regret.

"When you feel ready, Fairy Tail will be there. I'll be there," she said quietly, meeting his eyes as he looked up at her in surprise. "I'll carry you in my thoughts, so you're not alone in your loneliness," she whimpered, fighting the tears with everything she had now. "If it helps take away your loneliness, I'll do whatever it takes..."

"Mira." He took a step towards her again and took her in his arms, giving into kiss he knew he couldn't deny either of them any longer.

"I never stopped," she whimpered in between furious kisses, her tears mingling in between them. "I never stopped, so promise me you'll come back."

"I promise," he murmured back, kissing her again and again.

He now remembered her lips, their softness and their taste like unspoken promises whispered in the dead of night.

The future was a clear-cut path and it lead straight to back to Fairy Tail.

And the promise.

Of her.

* * *

_**Up next - 22. Affirmation  
**_

_**Catch y'all on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


	22. Affirmation

_**Up next is a cute Gajeel-Levi one. **_

_**And this'll be the last entry to this collection for now. **_

_**Thanks to all of you who reviewed and favorited. It really lifted my spirits to find that so many of you still liked this after my two years of absence. Let's hope it doesn't take me that long to come back.**_

_**Do enjoy this chapter and take care!**_

* * *

_Affirmation_

* * *

The stack of books wobbled dangerously in her arms.

She'd promised herself and the head librarian that she wouldn't carry that many books again, after what happened the last time. Her wrist still felt a little sore and she was sure to have seen the head librarian limping earlier.

Levi placed the pile of books on a nearby empty desk in the reading hall and sat herself down to devour the precious collection of books she'd gathered over the past few hours.

She was halfway through the seventh book when she caught an unexpected sight.

"Gajeel?"

The Iron Dragon Slayer turned away from the bookshelf he was looking at, a self-conscious expression on his face. "Levi?"

"Hi!" She greeted, closing her book and setting it aside as he approached her.

His eyes landed on the large amount of books that littered the table. "Did you carry all those by yourself, Levi?" he wondered, a fleeting look of amazement crossing his features.

"It's fine, I do this all the time," Levi said, slightly blushing at his impressed tone. "Did you come to lend a book?"

A red hue suddenly started to spread over his face and he looked away from her. "Well, uh… actually—"

The rest of his words were a non-understandable murmur of mashed up words.

"Eh?" she asked, now confused.

"What are you reading about?" Gajeel asked instead, picking up a large blue book.

"I'm just catching up on some light reading," Levi answered with a shrug.

"Light… reading?" He reiterated, staring at the large book. "The pages are as thin as leaves and the book weighs as much as you!"

She chuckled, "Once you've lost yourself into the subject of the book it doesn't matter how thin the pages are or how thick the book."

Gajeel couldn't imagine spending hours reading stories that took place in some imaginary world or about theories on magic or science that helped him no further than a headache.

"Do you have a favorite book, Gajeel?" Levi asked, taking the large blue book out of his hands.

"Where I grew up, we didn't really put that much value in books," he explained. "I grew up in the school of hard knocks. There wasn't really much time for book learnin' with Metalicana, what with all the broken bones and the incessant trainings and hunts for the next meal…"He shook his head," He disappeared before he could teach me— If he ever even intended on teaching me…"

Levi's expression changed into one of sympathy. "Then… you never learned how to read, Gajeel?"

Gajeel gritted his teeth in shame and balled his fists, before shaking his head once. After a moment he sighed, "That's why— uh. I was wondering… if, you know, if you had the time, if you could…?" he stammered, face turning fully red.

Levi smiled at him, endeared and honored that he'd trust her enough with a secret she knew must've been a source of humiliation to him. "I'd love to, Gajeel," she softly whispered, looking him in the eyes with sincerity.

He lowered his head in thanks and seated himself next to her at the table, grabbing one of her books.

"Well, actually," Levi said, standing up again, "We'll have to start smaller. Bookwise, I mean," she smiled reassuringly at him. "Wait here, I have the perfect book."

Gajeel watched her go, smiling gently at her apparent excitement over teaching him how to read.

His face fell however when next she returned, holding a colorful book in her hands that depicted wizards doing all kinds of magic.

It was a children's book.

Levi saw his face and gave him a stern look. "You have to start somewhere," she said.

Gajeel sighed and held out his hand for the book. "Alright…" he growled. He opened the book once she handed it over. "At least there's pictures."

She grinned and sat on the chair next to him.

"Scoot closer," Gajeel commanded, lifting the book a bit higher above the table so she could go underneath his arm and lean against him to explain what was written.

She hesitated at first, never having been this close to the Dragon Slayer before. Levi blushed, but did as asked and settled herself comfortably against his chest. The leather of his tunic had a strong musky scent she instantly grew a liking to, his arm holding her close to him was warm… and firm. She felt like right there, with him holding her like this, felt like the safest place in the world. She dared a glance towards his face and found him looking at her silently, yet intensely.

She gulped and quickly averted her eyes towards the book. Maybe… maybe he really wasn't that bad.

"You are… kinda weird, you know?" he murmured, turning a page of the book lazily.

And then he said things like that.

She frowned, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing bad," he grunted in an annoyed tone, rolling his eyes. "Don't get your panties in a knot, hey."

Levi huffed, offended. She pushed herself away from him. "Every time I think you've become just a tad more considerate or in the possession of a tad bit more tact, you manage to prove me wrong. Yet again!"

"Hey!" He exclaimed, raising his voice and forgetting that they were in a library. Therefore it wasn't long before they got requests to quiet it down from all around them.

Levi grunted, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the hall.

Gajeel ran after her and caught up with her right outside the building.

"Will you stop for a moment!" Gajeel growled, grabbing her by her shoulder and spinning her around. He then took a breath to steady himself and looked her in her eyes. "Do you think that this is fucking easy for me?" he whispered, a bit harder than he intended. "I'm really tryin' here."

"What the hell do I care whether this is easy for you or not? And what are you trying? To piss me off?" Levi yelled back, shaking her head stubbornly. "Do you _have_ to be so blunt and abrasive all the freaking time?" She ran a hand through her hair in exasperation, "It gets _so_ tiring trying to justify what it is I'm feeling for you when you keep being this obnoxious, arrogant, self-centered asshole all the time!"

Gajeel had fallen silent and as he watched her pant angrily after she was done ranting, he couldn't help the grin that formed on his lips.

"What?!" Levi barked.

"You're beautiful when you're angry," he quietly stated.

Levi already had a reply ready, but stopped and forgot what she was about to say. "What?" she said again, only now registering what he'd said.

"You were sayin' that you had feelings for me," Gajeel quietly said, taking a step closer to her.

At a loss for words and feeling herself redden more and more with each passing second, Levi helplessly flailed her arms, letting out a frustrated yell. "You're so infuriating, Gajeel!"

"But you still have feelings for me," he smugly said, laughing in his trademark fashion.

She sighed in defeat and chuckled, despite herself. "So now you know."

He grinned and reached out a hand towards her face to tuck back a strand of her hair behind an ear. "So now I know," he agreed. "And I'll confess to having… feelings for you too. I probably should've said that earlier instead of calling you 'weird'."

Levi pressed her hands against her mouth and began to laugh, looking up at him with teary eyes. "Does it even occur to you that you telling me that you have feelings for me came out easier than you telling me that you can't read?" she giggled.

He chuckled. "Well… I've been walkin' around with this for a while now."

"Me too…" she confessed softly, smiling radiantly at him. "So then, what now?"

Gajeel thought about it for a second. "Well, now I hope you're still up for teachin' me how to read…"

"Yes!" she said without hesitation, wrapping her arms around him. "So you came to the library to— wait, how did you know it'd be here?"

Gajeel scratched his chin, looking rather suspicious as he grinned again. "If I tell you I was followin' you, you'll take it the wrong way again, won't you?"

Levi stared at him, half amused, half endeared. She then burst out laughing again.

"So let's just say I have feelings for you again and blame my presence here on that."

She laughed harder at that before quieting down as she felt his hands cupping her face and watched him lower his to give her their first kiss.

She would teach him how to read books, just like he had finally taught her how to read his heart.

* * *

_**Catch ya'll on the next one!**_

_**-BDP-**_


End file.
